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President Donald Trump fired White House press secretary Katie Zacharia on Friday after five days on the job, The New York Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Neither Zacharia nor the White House responded to the newspaper’s requests for comment.
The reported firing followed Trump’s public suggestion that she reconsider the position. It is a remarkable reversal from his praise of her debut just three days earlier.
Related: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia failed the California Bar exam
From appointment to scrutiny
Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment October 9. She started Monday and delivered her first briefing Tuesday.
As The Advocate reported, that appearance lasted about 14 minutes. Zacharia recognized reporters from three outlets, deferred a question about intelligence sharing with Ukraine, and mistakenly called her husband “my president.” She also announced that the administration had asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign.
Trump initially offered an enthusiastic assessment: “I thought she did excellent. She did very good.”
Asked where she passed the bar exam, she initially said in China; however, questions about her credentials intensified. Trump introduced her as an attorney, but reporting showed she failed the California bar exam. Zacharia said she was advised she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney.
Fox interviews deepen the trouble
On Thursday night, Sean Hannity repeatedly pressed Zacharia for direct answers about her legal background. She acknowledged failing the bar and never retaking it, while defending her use of “lawyer.”
By Friday morning, she was back on Fox. Asked whether she should have disclosed the failed exam to Trump, she said those questions had not been asked.
“I’m being hired as White House press secretary and not White House counsel,” she said.
When Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones asked whether she still had Trump’s confidence, Zacharia pointed to their campaign travel.
“And I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me,” she said.
Related: New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia claims to have passed bar in China
Trump offers an exit
Hours later, before boarding Marine One for a trip to Georgia, Trump said he had encouraged her to consider quitting this job.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” he said he told her.
Trump blamed harsh media treatment, including Hannity’s questioning. Publicly, he presented the decision as hers. Asked whether he wanted her to stay, he offered no endorsement.
“I’ll talk to her when I get back,” he said.
The Times subsequently reported that she had been fired.
This is a developing story.
