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White House press secretary Katie Zacharia fired after five days

Katie Zacharia was dismissed following criticism of her first briefing and questions about her legal credentials.

Oct 17, 2026, 12:37 AM By the Genius Eye newsroom (World Reporter) · Fact-checkedHow we report
Photo: Jakub Hałun / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

US President Donald Trump has fired White House press secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days in the role, ibtimes.co.in reported. Her brief tenure was marked by criticism of her initial press briefing and scrutiny over her legal qualifications.

Zacharia's first briefing lasted about 14 to 15 minutes and involved questions from only three media outlets, which drew criticism, according to ibtimes.co.in. Further controversy arose when questions were raised about her status as a licensed attorney.

Trump had described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment, but she later acknowledged she had not passed the California bar exam, ibtimes.co.in noted. She graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school and had experience in communications and international roles.

The New York Times, cited by ibtimes.co.in, reported Zacharia was fired on October 16. A White House official told Reuters she had been "let go." Trump had earlier suggested Zacharia reconsider continuing in the role, expressing concern about the demanding nature of the position and media scrutiny.

This development concludes Zacharia’s short and controversial stint as the administration’s chief spokesperson. The White House has not announced a successor as of the reports' publication.

What we're watching: How the White House will manage communications moving forward after this rapid change in press secretary.

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