Katie Zacharia out as press secretary after 5 days on job
PBS NewsHour · Published on October 17, 2026
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Description
The White House confirmed that press secretary Katie Zacharia is transitioning out of her role after less than a week on the job. Speaking to reporters Friday, President Donald Trump said he gave her the option to leave, saying, “Maybe it’s not for her.” Zacharia held her first and only briefing on Tuesday, where she took questions from just three outlets. She also faced scrutiny over her alleged legal credentials. Zacharia defended calling herself a lawyer, even though she’s never passed the bar exam. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newshour/
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