Donald Trump's new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, has been ridiculed after a debut briefing marred by blunders, drawing comparisons to former footballer Ali Dia's infamous appearance for Southampton. Zacharia appeared to forget how to speak in full sentences, accidentally referred to the President as her 'husband', and ended the session after answering just three questions.
Debut riddled with stumbles and odd moments
The 41-year-old former lawyer, who replaced Karoline Leavitt at the podium after she left in August, mumbled and groaned throughout Tuesday's briefing. Internet users dubbed her 'Zachbot', with some suggesting what they witnessed was a hardware malfunction.
Zacharia, who says she has wanted to work for the President for "a very long time", kept her eyes on her notes for much of the early session. One top comment on Fox News' video read: "A simple introduction and she needs to read from notes?" Others noted her habit of breaking into a wide-eyed grin at seemingly inappropriate moments, including when discussing the Department of War's submarine repair programme, with some comparing her reaction to that of a 'hostage victim'.
Freudian slip and curtailed Q&A
The strangest moment came when Zacharia called Trump her "husband" while discussing work-life balance. She said: "The idea of not spending evenings with my President, sorry my husband . . ., is completely unacceptable," before adding: "that's a good one". She also referred to Trump as an "energetic President" and waited for a reaction from a silent room before looking at her feet.
After just 14 minutes, Zacharia wrapped up the briefing, having taken questions from only three reporters. Political commentators were stunned, with former Joe Biden press secretary Jen Psaki comparing the scenes to a comedy sketch. She wrote: "Well that briefing was basically an SNL skit…except it wasn't."
Commentators react, Trump approves
Political commentator Aaron Rupar declared: "Katie Zacharia makes Karoline Leavitt seem like Winston Churchill." Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson joked: "Sounds tired already", while Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted 11 days as Trump's communications director, quipped: "The clock is running. Thus far 1/11th of a Scaramucci."
Trump himself said: "I thought she did excellent. She did very good."
