News24 | White House press secretary Zacharia fired in less than a week after facing criticism

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds her first press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, US, 13 October.

Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was “let go” from the role, a White House official said on Friday, after President Donald Trump said he had told her to reconsider the job following public scrutiny.

“I told her: ‘I think you’re better off being happy, and I’m not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff.‘ There’s nothing easy about this stuff,” Trump told reporters while departing the White House.

He added: “I said to her honestly, ‘If I were you, I’d reconsider... think about it. But I would reconsider.‘”

Fox News, citing a White House official, later reported that Zacharia was “transitioning” out of the role of press secretary. Zacharia started the job on Monday and held her debut White House briefing on Tuesday.

She had said she received a call about the press secretary role last Wednesday and was offered the job to succeed Karoline Leavitt last Friday.

READ | Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, 28, steps down

Trump later announced her appointment. In his announcement, he described her as an attorney.

Over the last week, the issue of whether Zacharia, a graduate of California’s Pepperdine University law school, had actually passed the bar - making her an attorney - came under fire.

On Friday, during a Fox News interview, Zacharia said she did not pass the bar. Anthony Scaramucci served as director of communications for 10 days during Trump’s first administration.