Donald Trump has dismissed the new White House Press Secretary after fewer than seven days in post. Katie Zacharia, who was appointed on Monday, endured a catastrophic briefing amid growing questions about her credentials.
Briefing blunder and credentials under scrutiny
Zacharia had been brought in to succeed Karoline Leavitt as the US President's spokesperson. However, her inaugural briefing on Tuesday prompted mockery after she mistakenly referred to her husband as "my President".
Her legal credentials also came under the microscope, having claimed to be a solicitor despite never having passed a bar examination. While Zacharia completed law school, in the United States this alone does not constitute a licence to practise law.
President suggests she reconsider
Fox News now reports that she is "transitioning out" of her position at the White House after the US President suggested she should "reconsider" the role. Speaking to journalists beside Marine One, he said: "I said Katie, you know you don't have to do this if you don't want. If I were you I'd reconsider."
Zacharia's exit echoes that of Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's communications director for just 10 days in July 2017. Scaramucci's swift downfall became synonymous with Trump's first term in the White House, reports the Mirror.
Zacharia responds to questions
When asked on Fox News earlier today whether she retained the president's confidence following a turbulent start to her role, including questions over claims that she's a solicitor, Zacharia said: "I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me."
In the course of the interview, she revealed that she had not been questioned about passing the bar prior to being appointed to the role. She was also pressed on the administration's investigation into Democratic House Representative Ilhan Omar, but declined to respond to those queries, directing such matters to the Justice Department.
