Katie Zacharia: ‘It was an honor’ to be Trump’s press secretary

Katie Zacharia: 'It was an honor' to be Trump's press secretary.

Key points

• Contributing: Zac Anderson, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Francesca Chambers, Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Erin Mansfield.
• This person lasted just 11 days – from July 21 to July 31, 2017.
• Previously, Jerald terHorst served regarding a month in the post under President Gerald Ford in 1974 before resigning over Ford's decision to pardon former President Richard Nixon.
• Despite serving only five days as White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia had kind words for President Donald Trump on her departure.
• After only five days on the job, Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary.

Katie Zacharia: 'It was an honor' to be Trump's press secretary. Mike Snider USA TODAY. Katie Zacharia out as press secretary after 5 days.

After only five days on the job, Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary. President Trump remarked to journalists the job might not be for her.

Zacharia left the job shortly after a rocky Oct. 13 press briefing and subsequent criticism for misrepresenting herself as a lawyer. A few hours after exiting, she remarked "it was an honor" to work for the president.

"President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man, " Zacharia remarked in the Oct. 16 post on X. "I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever create America great the way he has and continues to."

Then on Saturday, Oct. 17, Zacharia posted a picture of her family in the Oval Office, surrounding the president. This week, her husband Tyler Zacharia and their four children traveled from their home in California so the family could celebrate two birthdays together, a tradition they are "very protective" of, she had remarked.

"Thank you, President Trump, for hosting my family and me in the Oval Office and for the generous gifts you offered my children on my son's birthday. It was an unforgettable honor, " Zacharia remarked in the second such post on X.

Trump on Oct. 12 named Zacharia, 41, as the successor to Karoline Leavitt. This person left her position in August. A conservative commentator – she was a regular guest on Fox News and Newsmax – Zacharia additionally worked as senior communications adviser for the business that runs Trump's social media platform Truth Social. A rocky start and short term for Zacharia.

In her first White House press briefing on Oct. 13, Zacharia addressed reporters for just 14 minutes. During the 5½ minutes when she took questions, she called on reporters from Breitbart, Fox News and Daily Mail, all conservative-leaning outlets.

As she departed the White House with Trump, reporters asked where she passed the bar exam, and Zacharia appeared to say "when I moved to China." Subsequently, Zacharia, a graduate of Pepperdine University's law school, acknowledged that she failed the California bar exam and is not licensed to practice law, after the briefing.

On Oct. 16, Trump remarked to journalists the job of press secretary might not be for Zacharia and stated he had asked her to consider stepping down.

"I said to Katie, 'You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to, '" Trump remarked on Oct. 16, adding that she's been treated "very rough" and "nastily" by the media. "I remarked, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think regarding it, but I'd reconsider.'". Job insecurity: White House press secretaries through the years.

Zacharia's stay behind the White House podium was remarkably brief: appointed one week, out the next.Historical comparisons can vary, depending on how acting and transitional service is counted, but Zacharia's stint has drawn comparisons to former Trump communications director Anthony Scaramucci. This person lasted just 11 days – from July 21 to July 31, 2017.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, katie Zacharia: It was an honor to be Trumps press secretary remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.