Updated October 16, 2026 at 2:52 PM EDT
Katie Zacharia is "transitioning out" of her role as press secretary, according to a White House official not authorized to speak on the record, marking a stunning turn of events for the spokeswoman who officially started Monday and is out by Friday.
Zacharia's first briefing was Tuesday morning where she faced scrutiny both over her performance – during which she delivered a lengthy and halting opening statement read from notes and called on only three reporters – and her legal credentials.
President Trump on Friday cast doubt on the future of Zacharia, saying he had a discussion with her just before leaving for a campaign rally in Georgia.
"I just spoke to her about it. I said, 'Katie, is this for you?'," he told reporters. "She's been treated, I would say, pretty nastily. And I said to Katie just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want."
He said he was leaving the decision up to her but advised her "you should reconsider" serving in the position.
The 41-year-old graduate of Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and self-described attorney had stepped in as Trump's chief spokesperson at a moment when his popularity has fallen to record lows and Republicans are scrambling to limit potential losses in the midterm elections.
Much of the scrutiny of Zacharia focused on her credentials as an attorney. While standing with Trump, she was asked by reporters where she passed the bar exam.
"When I moved to China," Zacharia answered, an apparent reference to what she has described on her LinkedIn page as a period of time from 2011 through 2013 spent working for a prominent Beijing-based law firm called Zhon Lun.
NPR asked the White House to clarify whether Zacharia is a licensed attorney in the U.S. In a statement provided to NPR, Zacharia said she "practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials."
More recently, Zacharia has served as a communications advisor for the Trump Media & Technology Group, the firm that operates Trump's Truth Social platform. She has also been a frequent pro-Trump commentator on conservative outlets including Fox News and Newsmax.
NPR's Brian Mann contributed.
Copyright 2026 NPR
