Inside Katie Zacharia's Brutal Firing After Just One Week as Trump's White House Press Secretary — as 'Susie Wiles Gave the Kill Order'
Katie Zacharia was fired days after her White House press briefing
Oct. 19 2026, Published 2:19 p.m. ET
Katie Zacharia’s run as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary is over after just five days, following a poorly received debut briefing, scrutiny over her legal credentials and two difficult Fox News appearances.
The 41-year-old conservative commentator was appointed Oct. 9 to replace Karoline Leavitt and began the job Oct. 12.
She held one briefing on Oct. 13 that lasted about 14 minutes and included questions from only three reporters. Her five-day tenure is the shortest in the history of the position.
A Five-Day Tenure Ends In The Oval Office
Katie Zacharia was informed that she will transition into a new role
Trump publicly signaled Zacharia’s exit Friday after speaking with her.
He said he told her, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” and that he would “reconsider” the job if he were in her position.
The White House later said Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the role and would move into another position. Trump did not describe the decision as a firing, although multiple news organizations reported she had been ousted.
The reversal came days after communications director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia’s debut and predicted she would be remembered as one of the “all-time greats.”
Fox News Interviews Become The Tipping Point
Katie Zacharia was introduced as an attorney by President Donald Trump
The pressure intensified after Zacharia addressed her legal background on Fox News.
She confirmed to Sean Hannity that she had failed the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University in 2011 and had never retaken it.
Zacharia said she expected to move to China with her husband and viewed the exam result as inconsequential. Reporting found she was not licensed to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction, despite being described as an attorney and referring to herself as a lawyer.
The following morning, she appeared on “Fox & Friends,” where Lawrence Jones asked whether she wished she had told Trump she had not passed the bar.
The ‘Ice Maiden’ And The Kill Order Claim
Katie Zacharia reportedly set her up for a trap, as claimed by an official
Reports have focused on whether Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, helped arrange Hannity’s interview. Politico reported that Wiles helped set up the appearance, with one source describing it as a “sanctioned hit.”
That account has been disputed. Fox News said Hannity decides whom he interviews and what he asks, while a White House official rejected the idea that Wiles engineered the appearance.
Breitbart later reported that text messages showed Zacharia herself had sought media interviews.
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Katie Zacharia praised President Donald Trump by calling him kind, wonderful, and gracious
Zacharia responded by praising Trump, calling him “kind, wonderful, gracious” and saying it was an honor to work for him. Trump said he wanted her to have a good life and felt she had been treated unfairly by the media.
The White House has not named a replacement.
Scott Jennings, previously considered for the job, said Trump should prioritize experience and credibility and denied that his comments amounted to a personal pitch.
