Exclusive | Katie Zacharia pushed for disastrous Fox News interviews that led to her ouster as press secretary
Katie Zacharia lined up a pair of disastrous Fox News media appearances that ultimately led to her own downfall as White House press secretary, text messages obtained by The Post reveal.The texts show Zacharia, who stepped down Friday after just five days in the job President Trump hired her for — pushing for two media appearances that were ultimately scheduled for Thursday and Friday, following her rocky debut at the White House podium.“I’d like to do news hits morning and evening,” Zacharia wrote Wednesday in a text message with a White House official about the bookings, which were postponed for a day.During the bumpy interviews with Fox host Sean Hannity on Thursday night and Fox & Friends Friday morning, the Trump mouthpiece awkwardly tried to explain her failure to pass the California bar and struggled to go beyond talking points on other issues.The appearances were so unsteady that one source in a Politico story termed it a “sanctioned hit” — suggesting it was orchestrated by Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who did not sign off on the high-profile hiring in advance.However, text messages indicate that Zacharia was leading the charge to get herself more camera time — and that Wiles had no role in the TV hits.By Friday, President Trump said publicly Zacharia wasn’t right for the role, advising that “you don’t need this” before she suddenly ended what may have been the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary.The texts, which also show consultations with Fox over an interview during a post-rally media appearance, indicate Zacharia was pursuing TV exposure as early as Tuesday — the day of her first briefing.A Hannity producer wrote Tuesday, “Katie said she can join us from the rally tonight.”One of Zacharia’s comments to Hannity on Thursday had the host wondering if she blamed the West Wing for her early stumbles.
“Given the fact that I’d been on the job less than maybe eight hours and had a brie...