President Donald Trump told Katie Zacharia to "reconsider" remaining in her White House press secretary role just one week after appointing her to the high-profile job. Speaking with members of the press on the South Lawn on Friday, the president revealed he told Zacharia: "You don't have to do this if you don't want to… I think you should reconsider.""Maybe it’s not for her," Trump acknowledged. It comes as her four-day tenure is already marked by mounting scrutiny over her legal credentials and a rocky debut before the White House press corps on Tuesday. Critics have taken aim at Zacharia over her recent interviews attempting to recover from the bumpy start. White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia listens to President Donald Trump talk with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One en route to Alaska on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)When pressed on if Trump's update meant that Zacharia was fired, the president walked-back with: "No no.I want her to have a good life.""She’s been brutalized by the media," he added. During an appearance on "Hannity" Thursday night, Zacharia was pressed over whether or not she could refer to herself as an attorney in which Zacharia admitted she did not pass the exam and never obtained a law license in the United States.TRUMP NAMES LEAVITT SUCCESSOR AFTER WEEKS OF SPECULATION — AND SHE'S NO STRANGER TO MAGAZacharia was named to the role Oct.
9 and stepped behind the White House podium for her first press briefing just days later on Oct.13."I had already pre-registered for the bar exam, and basically during the summer, I knew I would be living in China and the result of the bar would be inconsequential.
I sat for it because I didn't want to have a withdraw status," she said.WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS WIDELY PRAISE KAROLINE LEAVITT AS SHE ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATIONWhite House press secretary Katie Zacharia speaks to the media ...