Katie Zacharia dismissed as White House press secretary: Report

Katie Zacharia has been dismissed as White House press secretary less than a week after starting the job, India Today reported on October 16, citing Reuters reporting based on two White House officials. According to the account, she began work on Monday, replacing Karoline Leavitt, and delivered her first briefing on Tuesday. The reported departure comes as President Donald Trump seeks to promote his administration’s record ahead of the November midterm elections.

Her brief tenure drew scrutiny over statements about her legal experience. The report says Reuters found no records of the Pepperdine University law graduate being registered as an attorney or admitted to a bar in any US state or the District of Columbia. Zacharia maintained in a Wednesday statement that she had worked in international transaction law with the required credentials; during a Thursday Fox News interview, she acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination. The reported records search does not, by itself, establish unlawful practice.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider the position, pointing to the pressure of media scrutiny. She had earlier that day expressed enthusiasm about working with journalists. In a subsequent telephone appearance on Fox News, Trump said he was not rushing to choose a replacement. These developments are presented as reported by the source and have not been independently confirmed here.