In the shortest tenure for a Press Secretary in White House history, Katie Zacharia has been removed from her position after serving just five days on the job, as confirmed by senior Trump administration officials on Friday (October 16, 2026).
Zacharia, who assumed the high-profile post on Monday (October 12) succeeding Karoline Leavitt, immediately encountered intense scrutiny regarding her legal background. While President Donald Trump initially introduced her as a practicing attorney specializing in international transaction law, investigations by media outlets revealed no record of her bar admission in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia. In a Thursday interview on Fox News, Zacharia admitted she had failed the bar examination, rendering her unable to practice law in the United States.
Her departure comes just two weeks ahead of the crucial U.S. congressional midterm elections, temporarily leaving the administration without a chief spokesperson while President Trump seeks to showcase legislative achievements. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, President Trump stated that he had personally advised Zacharia to reconsider staying in the role due to mounting media pressure, adding in a phone interview with Fox News that he is in "no rush" to name a permanent replacement. Lasting only five days, Zacharia's brief tenure broke the record previously held by former Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who famously lasted 10 days in 2017.
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Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
