Just 5 Days After Appointment, Trump Dismisses White House Press Secretary - Sarmad

Katie Zakharia will not continue serving as spokesperson for U.S. President Donald Trump, less than two weeks after assuming the post, in a move that has thrown the White House communications team into turmoil once again.

Zakharia departed her position as of Friday, according to individuals familiar with the matter who requested anonymity before the decision was officially announced.

A White House official stated that Zakharia is moving on from the role, without clarifying whether she will take up another position within the White House or in Trump’s inner circle.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he had encouraged her to “reconsider” her position. The U.S. president told journalists at the White House: “I told her, honestly, if I were in your shoes, I would reconsider it.”

Zakharia’s tenure was marked by turbulence from the outset. Her first and only press briefing drew widespread criticism after she spoke slowly and hesitantly while reading from prepared remarks, and limited herself to taking questions from only three reporters.

Zakharia also faced a barrage of questions about whether she had misleadingly presented herself as a lawyer, despite not having passed the bar exam. Trump had also referred to her as a “lawyer” in a social media post announcing her appointment.

Zakharia’s rapid rise and equally swift departure from the role was notable, even by the standards of the Trump White House. The episode recalled his first term, which was characterized by frequent changes and turmoil within his team. During that period, Trump dismissed Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director after just 11 days in the post.