Katie Zakharia dismissed as White House spokesperson after just 5 days in office

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed Katie Zaccaria as the new White House press secretary, according to presidential advisors, bringing an end to her troubled five-day tenure in the high-profile post. Trump had previously stated that the role of White House press secretary might not be suitable for Zaccaria, noting that he had advised her to reconsider continuing in the position. These developments follow Zaccaria’s controversial start, which began when she assumed the role on Monday and held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. Her performance drew widespread criticism, and her remarks and legal qualifications sparked significant media debate. Regarding her qualifications, Zaccaria admitted in a television interview that she had not passed the bar exam, after earlier reports raised questions about her prior self-identification as a lawyer. A Reuters investigation found no records confirming that she had been licensed to practice law in any U.S. state or in Washington, D.C. Zaccaria also faced criticism following her first briefing, which lasted less than 15 minutes and included answers to questions from only three journalists, amid intense media scrutiny of her performance during her debut in the role.