Katie Zacharia out as White House press secretary: Report

Katie Zacharia has reportedly been removed as White House press secretary, a week after her appointment was announced. The Economic Times, citing AP and including Reuters inputs, reported on October 16 that the White House had described her as transitioning out of the position. The account also cited an unnamed White House official speaking to The Independent who characterised the departure as a dismissal. BharatVox has not independently verified these accounts.

According to the report, Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider the job because of what he described as unfair media treatment. He suggested she could remain working for him in another capacity, but the supplied account identifies no confirmed alternative appointment or successor. Zacharia was offered the post on October 9 and joined on Monday, the report said. Her only briefing took place on Tuesday; she relied heavily on prepared remarks and answered three questions before ending it.

The reported exit followed questions about Zacharia’s legal credentials. During a Thursday appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News programme, she acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination and had not attempted it a second time, according to the account. It said she had previously described herself as having practised law, while Trump had called her an attorney. The report attributed her 2011 Pepperdine University law degree to the university and listed political commentary and communications work among her previous roles. A law degree and admission to practise are separate qualifications; however, the supplied account does not establish a finding of professional misconduct or confirm that the credential controversy caused her reported dismissal.