White House press secretary Katie Zacharia departs after less than a week

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is leaving her position less than a week after taking office. Euronews reported that her departure follows sharp criticism of her press briefing performance and growing questions regarding her professional background. An anonymous White House official confirmed her departure to AFP news agency. [1]

Accounts differ on the exact circumstances of her exit. The New York Times and other United States media outlets reported that Zacharia was fired. However, Fox News reported that United States President Donald Trump denied dismissing her, stating that she was brutalized by the media and that he encouraged her to reconsider her decision. [1]

Zacharia faced questions over her background after describing herself as a lawyer while working as a commentator for conservative media outlets including Fox News and Newsmax. As FTMQ World reported earlier, Trump appointed Zacharia to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House press secretary role in August. Zacharia previously worked as a communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group and held a public affairs role at the Department of Homeland Security. [1][3]

Trump began his second term as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. His administration operates alongside Republican majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. [2]