Katie Zacharia Blames ‘the Media’ for Her Short Stint as Press Secretary: ‘They Would Not Let Me Do My Job’
Katie Zacharia Blames ‘the Media’ for Her Short Stint as Press Secretary: ‘They Would Not Let Me Do My Job’
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Angel SaundersWed, October 28, 2026 at 4:57 PM UTC
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds a news briefing on October 13, 2026Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty -
During an Oct. 27 interview, Katie Zacharia explained why she thinks she lasted less than a week as White House press secretary
Her first press briefing drew attention, in part, after she mixed up her husband and President Donald Trump
“I thought she did excellent,” the president previously said
Katie Zacharia is sharing what she believes led to the end of her brief run as the 37th White House press secretary.
During a Tuesday, Oct. 27, appearance on Newsmax, Zacharia, 41, told host Rob Finnerty she believed that the media played a role in her lasting less than a week in the position.
“Listen, the media does not like outsiders, and Washington, D.C., does not like outsiders,” she told the news anchor.
“And what I would briefly say is that the media and all of Washington made it very difficult for me to do the job I set out to do, which is to amplify the wins and historic record-setting precedent that President Trump has set, especially ahead of the most consequential midterms,” she continued.
Zacharia added, “They would not let me do my job, which was to focus on him and focus on what he’s doing to win.”
She added that the headlines became too focused on her.
The former conservative commentator, who previously worked at the Department of Homeland Security, was named press secretary on Oct. 9. By Oct. 16, her tenure was over.
That same day, Trump, 80, told reporters he had told Zacharia to “reconsider” the job.
“Katie’s been treated very badly by the media,” the president said. “Very, very badly. Very unfairly, I’ll tell you. And I just spoke to her about it. I said, ‘Katie, is this for you?’ ’Cause you know she’s been treated very rough and she’s a nice person, very nice person.”
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He added, “I’ve watched her for years on television, but I said, ‘Is this for you Katie? ‘Cause honestly, you don’t need this. You don’t have to be treated — I would say the ‘fake news,’ but just generally, the media has been very rough.”
Trump later said, “The news has been so nasty to her. I’ve never seen anything like it, actually.”
Zacharia’s time as White House press secretary began with an awkward initial briefing with the press. She also made headlines after describing herself as a lawyer despite not being licensed to practice law in the U.S., though she does have a law degree from Pepperdine University.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia joins U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 13, 2026Credit: Win McNamee/Getty
That same day, Trump spoke to reporters about Zacharia’s 14-minute briefing, saying, “I thought she did excellent. She did very good.”
Zacharia replaced Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary. Leavitt, 29, left the the role in August and will join Fox News as a contributor on Nov. 1.
“She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning,” Trump said of Zacharia when he first announced her as press secretary on Truth Social.
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“She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!” Trump wrote. “I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration.”
Since Zacharia’s exit, Nicki Minaj has been floated as a possible candidate by both White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
