Two White House reporters have shared some unflattering behind-the-scenes details that fueled White House press secretary Katie Zacharia’s dismissal on Friday, a mere five days into the job.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Zacharia was fired from her position after a disastrous debut press briefing, two contentious Fox News interviews and scrutiny over her claims of being a lawyer despite failing the California bar exam.
Shortly before news broke of Zacharia’s firing, President Donald Trump offered her a less-than-enthusiastic defense when pressed by reporters on the issue.
“The news has been so nasty to her, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said. “I said to her, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it. But I would reconsider. You got a beautiful husband and family.’ I met the family yesterday. Beautiful kids. It’s like from a picture postcard. I said, ‘You should reconsider. Because you don’t want to go through this.’”
However, other elements of her dismissal were reportedly much less cordial.
CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins wrote on social media that Trump was “embarrassed” by the coverage of Zacharia’s first briefing. She also said that Trump privately “polled” other staffers about her performance.
Additionally, Politico’s Daniel Lippman reported that a White House official told him that, during a meeting, Trump told staffers that Zacharia “had no talent and shouldn’t be on television.”
Earlier, the embattled press secretary was asked during a “Fox and Friends” interview whether she still had the president’s confidence.
“I’m standing here, and I was able to travel with him through all of the midterm convention — or, excuse me — the midterm rallies, and I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me,” Zacharia said.
