White House Press Secretary Dismissed After Four Days Amid False Resume and Competence Controversies

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has been dismissed just four days after starting her duties.

Fox News reported that on the 16th local time, U.S. President Donald Trump met with reporters at the White House on his way to Georgia and said he told Zacharia, "You don't have to do this job if you don't want to. Think about it again."

President Trump stated, "Maybe this job isn't the right fit for her."

When asked if these remarks meant Zacharia's dismissal, President Trump replied, "No. I want her to have a good life," adding, "She has been under harsh attacks from the media."

However, given that Zacharia's dismissal was officially confirmed by the White House immediately after President Trump's remarks, it appears to effectively be a notice of dismissal by the president.

Zacharia was announced as White House Press Secretary on the 9th and began her duties on the 12th, but immediately became embroiled in suspicions of a false resume and controversies over her qualifications.

Although Zacharia had introduced herself and worked as a lawyer on TV and other platforms, it was revealed that after graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011, she failed the California bar exam.

In addition, during her first White House briefing on the 13th, she took questions from only three conservative-leaning media outlets and departed after about 10 minutes, displaying a seeming lack of preparation as a press secretary.

In a media interview the previous day, recalling her stay in China from 2011 to 2016, she remarked, "They don't even have proper bathrooms," which drew a rebuttal from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The White House press secretary position had been vacant for nearly two months since former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt resigned in August following the birth of her second child.

Zacharia, a mother of four, has served as a senior communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the operator of the social media platform Truth Social established by President Trump.

President Trump previously noted that he selected Zacharia himself, describing her as "a loyal and outstanding supporter from the beginning, and an ardent fan and member of MAGA (Make America Great Again)."

It is unprecedented for a White House press secretary to step down after just four days.

Zacharia is expected to be recorded as the shortest-serving White House press secretary in history.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.