Katie Zacharia Leaving White House Press Secretary Role

Katie Zacharia is leaving her role as White House press secretary, a senior White House official said Friday, October 16, after she spent about five days in the position. The White House described her departure as a transition out of the role but has not publicly explained how the decision was made. President Donald Trump said he had urged Zacharia to reconsider the job, while saying he would leave the decision to her. He also described her treatment as unfair and suggested the position might not suit her. His remarks did not establish whether Zacharia chose to leave or was dismissed. Zacharia began work on Monday, October 12, and gave her first briefing the next day. The session lasted about 14 minutes and included questions from three reporters. Her brief appearance drew scrutiny, as did questions about her legal credentials. Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the California bar exam. She said she had practiced international transactional law with appropriate credentials. Trump had described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment. A complaint seeking an investigation into her statements about her credentials was filed with the State Bar of California;...