Sean Spicer Urges Trump to Focus on Skills, Not Looks When Replacing Fired White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia
Sean Spicer served as Trump's first press secretary in 2017.
Oct. 21 2026, Published 7:58 p.m. ET
Donald Trump's first White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, has given the president tips on finding a replacement for the role after Katie Zacharia was fired five days in, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
During an interview with News24, Spicer discussed Zacharia's brief tenure and how Trump can find a press secretary who stays longer on the job.
Vetting Concerns
Spicer gave Trump pointers on selecting the next press secretary.
''What does this whole fiasco say about White House vetting and whether Donald Trump chooses people who look pretty and just agree with him instead of people who are competent at the job?" News24’s Andrew Bolt asked him.
In response, Spicer said Zacharia is smart and has appeared on his show, and "does a great job of fighting for the America First agenda."
But he said the White House should refrain from "just focusing" on this ability in candidates, as it is only "20 percent" of the role.
"And obviously she, you know, had some issues with that part of the job as well," the 55-year-old added.
Briefing Backlash and Crucial Job Duties
Spicer discussed important parts of being a press secretary.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Zacharia's first press conference received significant criticism.
The briefing was only 14 minutes long, and she appeared to read her opening speech from a script. Additionally, she only took questions from the Daily Mail, Fox News, and Breitbart, during which there were several slip-ups.
Spicer explained a press secretary has to be able to handle "the rollout and coordination" during news briefings as well as the "logistical nature" of working with the press.
Spicer also emphasized the importance of acting as the "point person" for the U.S. government and "coordinating" with congressional stakeholders, an aspect of the role Spicer said is underappreciated.
Knowing Personal Limitations
Zacharia's tenure as press secretary is the shortest ever.
But he didn't only put the onus on the White House. Spicer stated it's important for candidates to acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses.
"If you're telling me that you've never, you don't have a real fundamental grasp of how government operates, you've never worked with the press corps, then this might not be the best fit for you," Spicer explained.
Sean Spicer's Own Departure
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A replacement has yet to be announced.
Spicer served as Trump's Press Secretary from January 20 to July 21, 2017, for a total of 182 days.
He resigned nearly immediately after Trump announced Anthony Scaramucci would be the new Communications Director. This wasn't the only reason Spicer resigned.
Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel a year later, he explained he "had become the story too often. That’s not a good place for a spokesperson to be."
The former Press Secretary said he knew it wouldn't get "better" and that "the end was coming" soon. He also told Kimmel Trump didn't want him to leave, and had asked him to "stay."
Yet insiders who spoke to The New York Times at the time said the two were not "close" and got on each other's nerves.
