- Trump told reporters Friday that he had urged Zacharia to “reconsider” her position, saying, “The news has been so unpleasant for her. I’ve never seen anything like it actually. And I told her, ‘honestly, if I were you, I would reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider.’
- “POTUS is a huge fan of Katie, and what POTUS said to reporters is exactly what he said in private,” a senior White House official said.
“President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, caring, enthusiastic and most hardworking man. I wish more Americans liked it,” Zacharia said in a message to X Friday evening.
- “No one will ever make America great like he has and continues to do,” she said. It was an honor to work for him.”
Driving the news: Zacharia was considered a surprise choice when Trump announced his hiring on October 9. She started work the following Monday, October 12, and gave her first – and probably only – press conference the next day.
- At that news conference, she was visibly shaky and nervous and did not impress the president, a White House official told Axios.
- Trump was also “blindsided” when he learned she was not a “lawyer,” as he posted on Truth Social when he announced her hiring.
Zachariah tried to damage control after a Wall Street Journal report that she was not licensed to practice law in any U.S. state. She told Fox News that she failed the exam and never took it again because she was moving to China.
- But his explanations during his interview were not considered up to par by Trump, the source said.
Background: Zacharia’s hiring was solely Trump’s decision, bolstered by the strong contribution of his personal assistant Natalie Harp.
- Zacharia flew to Washington on Thursday, slipped quietly into the White House without seeing any friends in the media or in the administration and had a good meeting with Trump.
- On Friday, Trump immediately offered him the job.
- Contrary to other reports, Trump made his decision known to chief of staff Susie Wiles. Wiles, who did not know Zacharia before, raised no objections because she knew the press secretary job is a personal job for the president, another administration source said.
Before hiring ZachariaTrump wanted to hire former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, two administration sources said, but she signaled she would not accept the job.
- Conservative commentator Scott Jennings was in the running but was not offered the job.
Behind the scenes: Zacharia’s arrival worried some staff members who feared she wanted to replace them. Zachariah denied this and tried to reassure them.
A White House official told Axios that Zacharia and his family were having dinner tonight with Vice President Vance and Vance’s family at the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory.
- “The warmth toward Katie goes well beyond the president,” the official said.
What we’re looking at: Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy said he spoke with Trump on Friday and that the president was in “no rush” to name a replacement for the press secretary.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.
Go Deeper: Trump’s Press Secretary Explains Bar Exam Failure
Barak Ravid contributed to this story.
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