Katie Zacharia exit confirmed days after she became White House press secretary

The Katie Zacharia exit from the White House press secretary's job was confirmed by officials in Washington on Friday, October 16, less than a week after she started. President Donald Trump had earlier said he advised her to reconsider the position following public scrutiny.

Zacharia began work on Monday and conducted her first briefing on Tuesday. Officials described her as leaving the role, with an adviser saying her departure from the White House would follow over the next few days.

Trump said he had discussed whether the demands of the job would make her happy. He also defended her against media treatment he considered unfair, while acknowledging the difficulty of the assignment.

Questions over legal credentials

The Katie Zacharia exit followed questions about her professional background. Trump had introduced her as an attorney, and she had described legal work in public statements.

Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University's law school. In a Thursday television interview, she acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination, according to reports.

She had nevertheless maintained in a statement that her international transaction law work had been undertaken with appropriate credentials. Questions over that description became a prominent issue during her opening days in office.

Her first briefing lasted about 14 minutes and included three questions from reporters, according to reports. The appearance drew scrutiny alongside the debate over her legal background.

Trump announced her appointment on October 9 to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who had left in August. Zacharia said the initial call about the post came on October 7.

The departure comes shortly before November's midterm elections, as Trump seeks to promote his administration's record and help Republicans retain congressional control. Speaking by telephone on Friday, he said he did not feel pressure to immediately choose a replacement.

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