Katie Zacharia Leaves White House Press Secretary Post

Katie Zacharia left her White House press secretary post less than a week after taking it, following a halting first briefing in which she answered three questions and scrutiny over her claim to be a lawyer despite not passing the California bar exam. President Donald Trump said he had urged her to reconsider because she was being treated unfairly; CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that Trump was embarrassed by her performance and wanted a more forceful television defender. Zacharia praised Trump in a statement after her departure, and the administration has not announced a replacement. Her exit briefly diverted attention from other White House controversies amid poor Republican midterm polling, pressure to spend heavily in key Senate races, and candidates distancing themselves from Trump over issues including tariffs and the Iran war.