Katie Zacharia Out As Press Secretary After Just 5 Days

After just five disastrous days on the job as the White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia was fired Friday.

Zacharia’s tenure leading the White House communications shop was marked by just one halting press conference, at which she was unable to answer the only substantive question ― about U.S. policy regarding intelligence sharing with Ukraine ― amid a handful of softballs.

Her foundation grew shakier still after she flubbed questions about her legal background and work experience, having seemingly misled reporters on both.

Though she has a J.D. degree from Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law in California, she’s not licensed to practice law in any U.S. state. Despite that, she repeatedly amplified claims of being an attorney.

At the same time, she also apparently embellished her on-the-job experience. Zacharia previously claimed to have worked as “a corporate lawyer” in China, working “on international transaction law.”

But a partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm in China, where Zacharia’s LinkedIn profile states she worked as an associate from 2011 to 2013, told The New York Times her role was more akin to a paid internship.

The president claimed Friday he wasn’t bothered by Zacharia’s apparent misrepresentations of having been a lawyer, despite her not having passed the bar.

“I wasn’t hiring her as a lawyer. She’s been very good,” he told reporters before departing for a rally in Georgia. “She’s been loyal to me from Day 1 for a long time. But it’s not an easy job. I think she was really treated very unfairly.”

“They’ve been so nasty to her,” he added. “I said, I said to her, honestly, if I were you … I’d reconsider. You think about it. But I would reconsider.”

Zacharia sat for two friendly interviews on Fox News Thursday and Friday but flubbed both.

While Trump outwardly seemed to suggest the choice was Zacharia’s to make, administration officials had privately telegraphed she was already out the door.

One Republican with knowledge of the situation told HuffPost Trump had been quizzing allies about Zacharia’s performance in recent days, as he often does before making a personnel change.

That’s in sharp contrast to the White House’s own public messaging.

On Wednesday, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called reports of dissatisfaction with Zacharia “tabloid trash” and “simply made up.”

“Up and down the White House, everyone has been thoroughly impressed with Katie in just a few short days on the job,” Cheung asserted. “At the end of this second term, she’ll be remembered as one of the all-time greats.”

The previous shortest-tenured White House communications chief, Anthony Scaramucci, held on for 11 days during Trump’s first administration.

“Records are made to be broken,” Scaramucci remarked Friday after the news broke. “But I take no pleasure in other people’s pain.”

Kevin Robillard and Jen Bendery contributed reporting.