Donald Trump has dismissed the new White House Press Secretary after fewer than seven days in the post. Katie Zacharia, appointed on Monday, endured a calamitous briefing amid growing questions over her credentials.
Briefing blunder and legal scrutiny
Zacharia was chosen to succeed Karoline Leavitt as the US President's official spokesperson. However, her inaugural briefing on Tuesday drew widespread mockery after she mistakenly referred to her husband as "my President".
She also came under fire regarding her legal credentials, having claimed to be a lawyer despite never having passed a bar exam. Zacharia completed law school, yet in the US this alone does not constitute a licence to practise law.
President's advice and exit
Fox News reports she is now "transitioning out" of her position at the White House after the US President told her she should "reconsider" the role. Speaking to reporters outside 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 draws comparisons to that of Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's head of communications for just 10 days in July 2017. Scaramucci's swift downfall became synonymous with Trump's first term in the White House, according to the Mirror.
Zacharia's response
When asked on Fox News earlier today whether she retained the president's confidence following her turbulent start, including scrutiny over her claims to be a lawyer, Zacharia said: "I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me."
During the interview, she revealed she was not 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 refused to comment, directing questions to the Justice Department instead.
