Ex-White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Claims 'Legacy Media' Is Focusing on Her to 'Distract' From Trump's 'Major Wins'
Katie Zacharia has a bold take on the 'legacy media' and its focus on her short time as press sec.
Oct. 19 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Short-lived White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia called media coverage of her debut press briefing a distraction during a tough interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, just one day before she was fired, RadarOnline has learned.
Hannity grilled Zacharia about her first briefing, which lasted less than 15 minutes.
Sean Hannity Grills Katie Zacharia
Zacharia got grilled by Sean Hannity on Fox on her trying to present herself as a 'Chinese lawyer.'
Hannity questioned whether the White House should have prepared Zacharia more thoroughly and challenged her legal credentials.
She graduated from Pepperdine University in 2011 but did not pass the California bar exam before moving to China to work for an international law firm. Zacharia acknowledged consulting people who advised her that it was acceptable to describe herself as a lawyer but not an attorney.
Hannity cited a report showing that Zacharia had engaged with 15 social media posts identifying her as an attorney. She said she had reposted the title others gave her but did not endorse it.
Hannity urged her to explain her background more directly, saying, "Why not just say, 'I went to Pepperdine Law School and then took a different career path, and I took the bar once and didn't pass it.'"
The 64-year-old questioned why she had taken only three questions during her debut briefing and warned that the press corps would not be a friendly audience.
Hannity also acknowledged the challenges of the position, saying, "And I know a lot of press secretaries over the years, and following on the heels of [former press secretary] Karoline Leavitt is very tough. And speaking for Donald Trump makes everything tougher."
Katie Zacharia Defends Controversial Press Briefing
Zacharia did not pass the California bar exam before moving to China to work for an international law firm.
As Radar previously reported, Zacharia largely read prepared remarks promoting President Donald Trump's agenda and upcoming midterm rallies before taking just three questions from Fox News, Breitbart, and The Daily Mail during the briefing.
Zacharia defended her performance, saying she had less than 24 hours to prepare and received briefing materials the following morning, October 13, after Columbia Day.
She also cited announcing personnel changes, including the departure of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, as one of her early accomplishments.
Zacharia acknowledged she could have handled the briefing differently, saying, “I, however, have been on the job for one day, and instead of taking questions, probably should’ve, you know, stepped aside.”
Internal Concerns
Zacharia accused the 'legacy media' of trying to make her the story as a distraction from Trump's accomplishments.
During a subsequent appearance on Fox & Friends on Friday, October 16, host Ainsley Earhardt asked whether Zacharia would clarify or change anything about her first briefing or Hannity interview.
Zacharia accused the "legacy media" of trying to make her the story rather than focusing on Trump's accomplishments.
"And the legacy media wants to put the focus and attention to me because they want to be distracted; they want to be distracted from the major wins that President Trump is making for America," she said.
She described the following week as a "blitz week," saying Trump would travel nearly every day for rallies ahead of the midterm elections.
Asked whether she had Trump's confidence after a difficult first week, Zacharia did not directly confirm that she had his confidence, instead saying she hoped to build the trust and confidence of those around her.
During that response, she stumbled over her wording, initially referring to traveling with Trump through "midterm convention" before correcting herself to "midterm rallies." Zacharia's first briefing reportedly drew criticism from inside the White House.
Anonymous officials questioned how long she would remain in the role, with one describing her debut as “brutal."
Trump on Katie Zacharia: 'I Want Her to Have a Good Life'
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Trump told reporters that Zacharia did not deserve the media criticism has faced from her bad first day.
There is no official explanation for why Zacharia was removed after just five days as White House press secretary.
However, Trump told reporters that the media had treated her unfairly and suggested that letting her leave the role would spare her further scrutiny.
"Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this… I want her to have a good life. I don't want her to have a life like she's led the last three days. She’s being brutalized by the media," Trump said at the time. "When I get back, we're going to talk because I don't think that Katie could be made to suffer like she’s suffering."
