Trump Replaces Katie Zacharia as Press Secretary After Rocky First Week

President Donald Trump is already searching for another White House press secretary after his latest pick, Katie Zacharia, lasted only a few days in the job. Reports from The New York Times, CNN and Fox News say she is out after a rocky start that never really recovered.

Zacharia, a former conservative commentator who had worked at the Department of Homeland Security and more recently as a communications adviser for Truth Social, was named to the role on October 9. By Friday, October 16, multiple outlets were reporting that her time as the administration’s chief spokeswoman had ended. Neither she nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

The same day the reports surfaced, Trump told reporters he had spoken with Zacharia and encouraged her to rethink the position. “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” he said, recounting the conversation. He added that he told her, “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.” While he noted that she had been treated poorly by the media, he also suggested the high-pressure job might simply not be a fit for her.

Zacharia stepped into the role after Karoline Leavitt left to focus on her family. Leavitt, who is now a Fox News contributor, gave birth to a daughter in May and later decided the demands of the podium no longer lined up with what she wanted for her young children. Trump had praised Zacharia in the announcement, calling her a loyal supporter with an unblemished record who had been with him from the start and was a devoted member of MAGA.

The scrutiny began almost immediately. Her first and only formal briefing was widely described as awkward. She largely stuck to prepared remarks, took questions from just a handful of reporters, and ended the session after roughly 14 minutes. During one exchange about balancing the job with raising her four children, she mixed up her words and referred to her husband as “my president” before quickly correcting herself. Clips of the moment spread quickly.

Questions also grew about her description of herself as a lawyer. She holds a law degree from Pepperdine but is not licensed to practice in any U.S. state. Reporting indicated she sat for the California bar exam after graduation and did not pass. Trump had referred to her as an attorney, and she had previously described herself that way in media appearances. She later acknowledged she never obtained a law license.

Turnover in the press secretary role is not unusual, though Trump has cycled through more people in the job than many of his predecessors. Across both of his terms he has now had six press secretaries. George W. Bush and Barack Obama, by comparison, had a combined seven over their 16 years in office.