Katie Zacharia’s time as Donald Trump’s press secretary was short-lived, lasting just five days before she was out of the position. Now, Zacharia is speaking out about her brief stint in the White House, pointing the finger at the media for what she says made it impossible for her to do her job. Rather than taking responsibility for the abrupt departure, Zacharia claims that the press was working against her from the start. Keep reading for more information.
View this post on Instagram
Katie Zacharia Blames ‘The Media’ For Her Firing
Zacharia addressed her brief time in the White House during an October 27 appearance on Newsmax, where she argued that the media’s coverage of her was a major reason she was unable to succeed in the position. Rather than focusing on communicating Trump’s agenda and accomplishments, she claimed reporters and Washington insiders made her the center of attention. “They would not let me do my job,” Zacharia said, arguing that the constant scrutiny prevented her from doing what she had been brought in to do. She also suggested that the coverage was unfairly focused on her personally instead of the president’s record.
During a separate interview with Piers Morgan on October 28, Zacharia also pushed back against criticism of her performance, including suggestions that she sounded robotic when discussing her loyalty to Trump. When Morgan questioned whether she was simply repeating the president’s talking points, she insisted that she was not a robot and described herself as “ruthlessly loyal” to Trump.
Women Are Swapping Their Boring Water For This Ice Pop Electrolyte Mix!
Natalie Harp Reportedly Pushed For Katie Zacharia's Hiring
So how did Zacharia get the job in the first place? Natalie Harp reportedly played a key role in getting the mother-of-four considered for the White House press secretary position, giving Donald Trump "strong input" in favor of the hire, according to Axios. The job was no small assignment, either. Zacharia was expected to replace Karoline Leavitt, who unexpectedly left the position in August, leaving some pretty big shoes to fill as the administration's public-facing spokesperson.
Unfortunately, Zacharia's time behind the podium got off to a disastrous start when she faced the White House press corps for the first time on Tuesday, October 13th, answering just three questions before abruptly leaving the briefing, which lasted less than 15 minutes.
Questions about Zacharia's qualifications soon added to the controversy, after it emerged that she had described herself as a lawyer for years despite reportedly failing the bar exam, according to The Wall Street Journal. Zacharia later claimed she had been told she could refer to herself as a "lawyer," even if she was not technically an "attorney," but the explanation only fueled further scrutiny of her credentials.
As it turns out, Harp isn't the only person in Trump's inner circle that has some pull with the president. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was said to be behind the decision to push Zacharia out. According to the Daily Mail, Wiles had been bypassed in Trump’s decision to hire Zacharia.
The reported turning point came after Zacharia’s disastrous first press briefing, where host Sean Hannity pressed her about her legal credentials. Per the Daily Mail, Wiles was behind the decision to get Zacharia out, with a senior administration official claiming, "Susie gave Fox News the kill order, but Zacharia was an obviously bad choice. This was totally predictable."
