White House press secretary fired after five-day tenure

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 16:43 · Archive

Katie Zacharia was fired as White House press secretary five days after taking the job.

Katie Zacharia has been fired as White House press secretary five days after her appointment, leaving the briefing room podium vacant at a critical moment for the administration. Zacharia, a former Homeland Security spokesperson and Newsmax contributor, took the position on 12 October, replacing Karoline Leavitt. President Trump described her at the time as 'a loyal and brilliant supporter'.

Her first briefing, held the day after her appointment, lasted 14 minutes. She read haltingly from prepared remarks, mistakenly referred to her husband as 'my president', and took questions from only three journalists. The performance drew criticism from both outside the administration and within the White House, and she was fired by 16 October.

The timing of her departure is significant, with the midterm elections scheduled for two weeks after her dismissal. Polls indicate Republicans could face substantial losses. Several names have circulated as potential replacements, including CNN commentator Scott Jennings and Margo Martin, a special assistant to President Trump. Jennings previously worked on campaigns for Senator Mitch McConnell and was reportedly in contention for the position before Zacharia was hired.

How it is being reported

• Who could replace Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary after 5-day disaster?The press room podium is now vacant with just two weeks to go until the midterm elections, which polls indicate could result in severe Republican lossesIndependent World · 19 Oct, 16:26
• What does a White House press secretary do?Katie Zacharia's short time as White House press secretary has brought renewed attention to the high-profile role.NPR · 19 Oct, 02:41

In this story: Katie Zacharia · Donald Trump · Karoline Leavitt · Scott Jennings · Margo Martin · White House

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