Katie Zacharia, who left her role as White House press secretary after just five days, posted a gushing message for President Donald Trump hours after her departure. In a post shared on Friday, she wrote: "President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honour to work for him."
Brief Tenure and Criticism
Zacharia confirmed she had left the White House just days after her inaugural briefing on Tuesday. The 14-minute briefing was widely criticised, and questions arose over her credentials after she admitted to not having passed the bar exam. Her post on X/Twitter has been viewed nearly 8 million times since it was posted.
Before her selection, Zacharia was a little-known figure, having appeared as a commentator for conservative outlet Newsmax. Following her criticised press briefing, she was questioned by Fox News host Sean Hannity, who asked: "What happened?"
Questions Over Credentials
Questions also mounted over Zacharia's description of herself as a lawyer. She later claimed there was a difference between "lawyer" and "attorney," the latter being a title for those with a license to practice law.
Trump himself weighed in on whether Zacharia was suited for the role. Speaking to reporters on Friday, he said he had asked her to "reconsider" her job. "I said: 'Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don't need it,'" Trump said. "I said to her: 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider.'"
Historical Record and Predecessor
Zacharia confirmed she had left the White House just hours later. Her tenure of just five days makes her the shortest-serving White House press secretary in American history.
Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, left the role earlier this year following the birth of her second child. Leavitt is now set to join Fox News as a contributor in the coming weeks. She said she was "grateful for the opportunity," adding: "I look forward to bringing my unique perspective from my experience as White House press secretary, along with the same energy and candour that defined my tenure, to Fox's millions of viewers across their many platforms."
