Trump Says He Advised Katie Zacharia to Leave Her Post for Her Own Good

Donald Trump said in Washington on October 16, 2026, that he had advised White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to reconsider her position, five days after she joined the White House. He said the press had treated her “very unfairly” and questioned whether she could be happy in that environment. Appointed on October 9 to succeed Karoline Leavitt, Zacharia gave a 14-minute first briefing that drew widespread criticism, although Trump praised her performance. She also acknowledged that she had never been a licensed lawyer after claiming she had passed China’s bar exam, which foreigners are not permitted to take.