The White House press secretary job has taken a remarkably short and complicated turn. Katie Zacharia’s tenure lasted only five days before news broke that she was “transitioning out” of the position. Now, additional reporting indicates that Zacharia was not President Trump’s first choice for the job in the first place.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Zacharia gave the update to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. The New York Times described the situation by claiming she had been “fired,” but Zacharia told The Gateway Pundit that she had not been fired. Apparently, even the wording surrounding the departure needed its own political press briefing.
Zacharia had already faced criticism after her first and only press briefing on Tuesday. According to the report, she appeared nervous and repeatedly failed to make eye contact with reporters. That would have been an uncomfortable performance under any circumstances, but the scrutiny increased after reports questioned her claims of being an attorney and lawyer despite never passing the bar exam required to practice law.
Axios now reports that President Trump initially wanted former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo to serve as press secretary. Bartiromo reportedly signaled that she would not accept the position. One administration source explained why, saying, “She’s no longer on air, but she’s still on the Fox payroll & the taxpayers can’t compete with that,”
Bartiromo’s reported connection to the White House is not difficult to understand. The source article says she parted ways with Fox News after leaking internal texts to the White House. Those texts reportedly showed that network staff had been instructed to stop amplifying what the network called “election conspiracies” involving President Trump.
Axios also reported that conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings was considered for the position before President Trump ultimately offered it to Zacharia. The outlet further reported that President Trump was “blindsided” when he learned Zacharia was not an attorney, despite having described her that way in a Truth Social announcement about her hiring.
The report says Zacharia’s hiring was President Trump’s decision, with strong input from his personal assistant, Natalie Harp. That combination of a fast hire, a shaky debut, and an unexpected credentials controversy produced a remarkably brief chapter in the White House press operation.
For now, there may not be another chapter immediately. President Trump told Peter Doocy on Friday that he is in “no rush” to name a replacement. After this much turbulence in only five days, taking a little time before making the next choice sounds less like hesitation and more like basic workplace survival.
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