President Donald Trump abruptly dismissed Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary on Friday, ending her tenure after five days. She had been sworn in on May 2, 2026, but her appointment was short‑lived.
During the briefing, Trump said he had asked Zacharia to reconsider and that she was being treated unfairly by the press. He added that he would have reconsidered the position if he were in her shoes. The comments aired as reporters pressed for details on her legal credentials.
Zacharia, who joined Trump Media only months earlier, has a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University, but no record of passing a state bar exam has surfaced. The Independent outlet Popular Information highlighted that she is not licensed in any U.S. state, raising doubts about her claim to be a practicing lawyer.
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended her as "uniquely qualified" and "whip‑smart," while the White House released a statement that cited her academic background and experience at the Department of Homeland Security. Zacharia’s LinkedIn profile lists her as senior communications adviser at Trump Media and a former deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS.
The dismissal leaves the administration scrambling to appoint a new press secretary before the next major briefing with the media.