According to a report by The Washington Post on October 17th, two White House officials said that Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, resigned after only five days in office, ending her brief tenure. At the time of her appointment, the West Wing of the White House was embroiled in internal strife, and voter dissatisfaction with the Republican Party was growing. There were only a few weeks left until the mid-term elections.
On Friday, just a few minutes after US President Trump publicly stated that Zacaria should consider leaving her position, news of her resignation came true. Trump expressed his personal support for Zacaria, but expressed doubt about whether she was suitable for the position.
Trump said outside the White House to reporters, "Maybe this job is not suitable for her."
Zakaria, after taking on one of the most prominent positions at the White House, started off poorly and quickly resigned from her role. It is quite rare for a person appointed by the president to withdraw from their position so quickly. During her first press conference at the White House on Tuesday, she stumbled through her speech, and similar situations occurred during subsequent interviews with several friendly media outlets. This surprised many of Trump's allies.
During his speech to reporters, Trump complained about the media's attitude towards Zacaria. Zacaria has been controversial because she identifies as a lawyer, yet she failed to pass the bar exam in California and has no license to practice law in any other state in the United States.
Trump mentioned twice when Zachary interviewed for Fox News. The White House generally considers Fox News to be a media outlet that holds a friendly attitude toward them.
Trump said, “I have to say that she was treated quite badly. Just two minutes ago, I told Katie, ‘Katie, you know, if you don’t want to do this job, there’s no need to force yourself.’”
He said: "I told her, 'To be honest, if I were you, I would reconsider.'"
A Trump ally stated that the White House believes that Zakaria lacks the necessary abilities to serve as a press secretary, and also does not possess the unique qualities required for this position. Instead of letting the issue continue to escalate on the eve of the midterm elections, the government should take prompt action to resolve it.
After Zakaria left, a new round of competition began over who would take his place. Karoline Leavitt, the former White House press secretary, resigned in August to have more time with her family. Leavitt had a close relationship with Trump and had worked for him for many years.
On October 8th, Trump appointed Zakariya as the White House press secretary. This decision was made by himself, without even consulting senior staff members, including Susie Wiles, the director of the White House Office. According to four people who were aware of the discussions, when Trump announced this decision inside the White House that night, Wiles and other White House officials were surprised.
Trump announced this appointment publicly the next day, calling Zachary a “lawyer”. However, Zachary later admitted that he was not qualified to use that title.
Some people within the White House believe that this incident indicates that Wahl’s influence over Trump is weakening. It also reminds some of Trump’s allies of how the White House operated during Trump’s first presidency: compared to his second term, the White House was less disciplined, more arbitrary in its actions, with clearer factional boundaries and more intense internal conflicts.
Zakaria officially took office on Monday and hosted her first White House press conference on Tuesday, but she performed poorly. She appeared very nervous, stumbling over her prepared speech, and only answered three questions from friendly media outlets before hurriedly leaving after 14 minutes.
After the press conference on Tuesday, she reportedly told a journalist that she had taken the bar exam in China. She later stated that she misheard the question. On Thursday, she admitted that she did not pass the bar exam in California, and that she worked at a law firm in China, but she did not practice law in China as a formal lawyer.
Two people familiar with Trump and Zacaria’s relationship said that Trump still has a high regard for Zacaria. The two people asked to remain anonymous so as to discuss the considerations within the White House candidly. They said that at least for now, it is expected that Zacaria will be transferred to another position within the White House. Zacaria and his family reside in California.
