Katie Zacharia has left her role as White House press secretary to US President Donald Trump, a week after being appointed.
This comes after she had faced scrutiny over her claims that she was a lawyer, and bad reviews from her first press conference.
On Friday, President Trump had said that he had told Ms Zacharia to reconsider her role, with a senior White House official later confirming to NBC News that she had left.
Mr Trump had claimed that his former press secretary was treated "so nasty" by some corners of the media, and insisted that he only wanted her to be "happy". He added that she had told him the job as "a lot tougher", but he would "let her make that decision" regarding her future.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: "She's a nice person, a great person, and she's been treated roughly". He said that he had asked Ms Zacharia if she wanted to "really live like this" as the media would probably not "ease up".
This appears to be a complete U-turn from the President, having previously claimed that Katie Zacharia would be "terrific" following her appointment, but has now admitted that "maybe it's not for her".
Despite leaving after less than a week in the job, Katie Zacharia paid tribute to Mr Trump on X, saying that she wished "more Americans appreciated" the President.
"President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man," she said. "I wish more Americans appreciated him.
"No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him".
President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.
It was an honor to work for him. https://t.co/Tp4NizrhE2
— Katie Zacharia (@KatieZacharia) October 17, 2026
Katie Zacharia had previously come under the spotlight after she had repeatedly referred to herself as a lawyer.
While she had received a law degree from California's Pepperdine University, Ms Zacharia had admitted that she failed the bar exam in the state, and never tried again as she was moving to China.
She had stated that she was careful not to refer to herself as an "attorney at law", indicating that she was qualified in the field.
Speaking to Fox News, Ms Zacharia had said she had consulted with "legal professionals" who told her it was acceptable to call herself a lawyer as she did study at a "reputable law school" and had "legal experience".
Ms Zacharia said in separate comments that she had "practised international transaction law with all the appropriate credentials" while living in China with her husband. This was called into doubt as the country requires Chinese citizenship to pass the bar exam.
Earlier this week, Ms Zacharia also endured a shaky opening press conference on behalf of the Trump administration on Tuesday, where she only spoke for 15 minutes, answering just three questions.
Among the highlights of this conference, saw Ms Zacharia tell reporters like Fox News that she would "have to get back to you on that", when asked by the outlet if the US had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
She also accidentally referred to "My President" instead of "my husband".
Katie Zacharia had previously been renowned for her work as a conservative commentator and had appeared on Fox News and also right wing media. She also worked for the company behind Mr Trump's Truth Social Reform, as well as for the Department of Homeland Security press office.
Ms Zacharia had replaced the previous Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt who had worked in the job since January 2025.
Her departure marks the shortest reign in the history of the White House. Prior to this, Anthony Scaramucci, who worked as the communications director during Mr Trump's first term in 2017, left after 10 days in the role.
Commenting on Ms Zacharia's departure, Mr Scaramucci insisted she has had a lucky escape.
"Dear @katiezacharia ---- speaking as the world's leading expert on short White House tenures: turn off the news and go enjoy your family", he wrote on X. "In time you'll realize that the Universe did you a major favor". (All quotes in this piece according to Sky News).
