Katie Zacharia Removed as Press Secretary After Five Days

Katie Zacharia lasted just five days as White House press secretary, setting off a diplomatic incident with China.

President Donald Trump abruptly decided to part ways with her less than a week after her appointment. Zacharia was let go on Friday, five days after starting the job, learning of her removal while in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in her new office. President Trump told reporters he asked her to reconsider whether she wanted to stay in the position, stating she had been treated very rough.

Her tenure included a rocky debut press briefing on Tuesday, which lasted fewer than 15 minutes, where she took only three questions from conservative outlets and relied heavily on a script. Questions also surfaced about her legal credentials after she presented herself as a lawyer in media appearances. When asked where she passed the bar exam, she replied, "When I moved to China," later clarifying she failed the California bar exam in 2011 due to preoccupation with moving to China.

Her LinkedIn profile indicates she worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013. Zacharia also referred to China as a place that doesn't even have proper toilets in an interview, prompting Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning to invite her to visit. Before joining the White House, Zacharia was a commentator on Fox News and Newsmax.

Her five-day tenure is half the time Anthony Scaramucci lasted as White House communications director. Former Rep. George Santos pitched himself to fill the vacancy.