Trump White House Press Secretary Katie Zakaria Reportedly Dismissed

WASHINGTON: (News Desk) – US President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary, Katie Zakaria, has reportedly been removed from her position less than a week after taking office, according to a news agency citing two White House officials.

Zakaria assumed the role on Monday and delivered her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. However, her appointment quickly drew scrutiny over her legal credentials, while her performance during briefings and interviews also attracted criticism.

The controversy intensified during her first press briefing, when she reportedly struggled to answer several questions. In one exchange, a journalist asked which US state she had passed the bar examination in, to which she replied, “When I moved to China.”

US media investigations subsequently reported that although Zakaria earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, her name did not appear in the records of bar associations in any of the 50 US states or the District of Columbia.

Following the criticism, Zakaria reportedly acknowledged that she had failed the bar examination on her first attempt and had not retaken it.

She also faced criticism after reportedly referring to her husband as “my president” during her first press briefing.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that he had advised Zakaria to reconsider remaining in the position, noting that she had faced intense media criticism during her first days in office.

As of the time of reporting, neither the White House nor Zakaria had publicly commented on the reported departure.