Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has commented on the firing of her replacement, Katie Zacharia, after just five days in the role. Leavitt also said she offered to help US President Donald Trump choose "someone who can serve him and the country well."
Trump dismissed Zacharia on Friday, October 16, after one briefing and mounting questions over her qualifications. She had been appointed on Monday, October 12. The departure leaves the president without a public messenger just over two weeks before November's midterm elections.
Leavitt's Remarks on the Difficult Role
Speaking with FOX News Digital's Paul Steinhauser, Leavitt said, "Well, look, White House Press Secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously, for almost two years. And many people say it's one of the hardest jobs in politics."
Leavitt said the job "takes a lot of preparation." She added: "And sometimes you don't know how someone will perform until they go out there. So, look, as the president said, we wish Katie the best. The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well."
Offering Help and Advice
Leavitt said the role is highly sought-after and that she had "offered my help to the President to help him select someone who can serve him and the country well." When asked what advice she would give if Trump asked for it, Leavitt was evasive: "Well, I'll keep my private counsel to the President private."
"But I do obviously talk to him about what the job entails, and he knows it very well," she added. "Nobody understands the press better than Donald Trump."
According to Leavitt, the president needs someone who "is tough, who is smart, who understands his policies, who is loyal, and who can go out there and put up a fight." She continued: "There's a lot of qualified people who can have it. It's just up to the president to make that decision."
Trump's Account of Zacharia's Exit
Trump said last week that he had asked Zacharia to "reconsider" her position within his administration after a messy first week. According to Trump, the decision was hers, but the tone of official statements alluded to Zacharia being sacked.
"Katie's been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly. Very unfairly, I think. And I just spoke to her about it. I said, Katie, is this for you?" he told reporters. "Because, you know, she's been treated very rough," he added. "And she's a nice person. Very nice person. I've watched her on television for years. But I said, is this for you, Katie? You don't need this. You don't have to be treated. I would say the fake news, but just generally, the media has been very rough."
Trump recounted her appearance on Sean Hannity on Thursday, saying he saw the interview on Friday morning and said, "She's been treated, I would say, pretty nastily." He also told Zacharia, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to." "I said to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider'," he said. "You think about it. But I would reconsider. She's got a beautiful husband and family. I met the family yesterday. Beautiful kids. It's like a picture postcard."
The White House, when asked by The Mirror US for comment, pointed to a tweet reading, "A senior White House official tells @pdoocy Katie ZACHARIA is 'transitioning out' of the press secretary position."
Zacharia announced her departure from the White House in a post on X. "President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man," she wrote. "I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to," she added. "It was an honour to work for him."
