Katie Zacharia Fired as White House Press Secretary After 5 Days

US Politics | Updated October 17, 2026

WASHINGTON — Katie Zacharia is leaving her post as White House press secretary after about five days in the job, according to a senior administration official, following a troubled first briefing and a dispute over her claim to be a lawyer.

The official told reporters she is "transitioning out" of the role. President Donald Trump said he had advised her to "reconsider" the position, but described the decision as hers. The White House has not named a successor, and it has not said whether her departure is a dismissal or a resignation.

A difficult debut

Zacharia was appointed to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who held the role from January 2025 until she left at the end of August. Trump announced the choice on his Truth Social platform, calling her a loyal supporter from the beginning.

Her first briefing on October 13 lasted only a short time, and she took a small number of questions. It was widely criticized in the press and online. She later said she had not been given a full briefing beforehand and noted that it was only her second day.

Questions over her legal credentials

The controversy began when Trump described Zacharia as an attorney in his announcement. After the briefing, a reporter asked her which state's bar exam she had passed. She replied twice: "When I moved to China."

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that she took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011 but did not pass it. A senior administration official confirmed the report to NBC News. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Zacharia agreed that she had not passed.

She has said she misheard the question over the noise of Marine One. She has also said she moved to China for her husband's work soon after law school and did not focus on the exam results afterwards.

The Washington Post noted that noncitizens are not allowed to take China's national bar exam or practice in its courts. The White House has said Zacharia was not hired to provide legal services. Critics have called for an investigation into her statements about her legal status.

Trump's remarks

Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally, Trump said he had told Zacharia that if he were her, he would reconsider. He suggested she did not have to endure the criticism, and he said she had told him the job was much tougher than she expected.

A senior White House official later said she is transitioning out of the position.

Background

Before joining the White House, Zacharia was a conservative commentator on Fox News and Newsmax and an adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group. She served as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security from February to April this year. She has also acted as a legal adviser to Fix California, a conservative group founded by Trump ally Richard Grenell.

A very short tenure

If her exit is confirmed, five days in office would make Zacharia the shortest-serving White House press secretary on record. Among other senior Trump administration officials with brief tenures, Anthony Scaramucci served 10 days as communications director in 2017, and Michael Flynn lasted 24 days as national security adviser the same year.

The White House has not announced who will lead its press operation. Day-to-day communications are expected to be handled by existing communications staff in the meantime.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

---

Reporting based on: The Hill, ABC News, CBC News, The Washington Post, Associated Press.