Katie Zacharia leaves the White House press secretary position just days after assuming it.

Katie Zacharia leaves the White House press secretary position just days after assuming it - Author, Newsroom - Author's title, BBC News Mundo - Publication date - Reading time: 4 min The White House announced that press secretary Katie Zacharia will be leaving her position, just a few days after assuming it. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said he had asked Zacharia to "reconsider" if she wanted to stay in the post. In front of the White House, Trump also stated to journalists that the official had been treated "very, very badly" by the media in recent days. "I told her: 'Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don't need it. You don't have to be treated so badly,'" said Trump. He then referred to her as "a very pleasant person." Zacharia offered a single press conference as spokesperson for the Trump administration, which ended abruptly after 14 minutes, clarified Sarah Smith, editor for North America at the BBC. In her statements, Trump alluded to Zacharia's two recent appearances on Fox News, a platform usually favorable to Republicans, in which she claimed she was treated in a "rather unpleasant" manner. "Welcome to the world of Trump," the president said. The Controversy At the beginning of this week, the 41-year-old woman replaced journalist Karoline Leavitt, who announced her departure from the government last August. But as soon as she joined the government, a controversy erupted over doubts about her professional credentials as a lawyer. When a journalist asked her on Tuesday which state she had passed the bar exam in to practice law in the United States, she replied along with the president: "When I moved to China." Zacharia does not appear to be registered with the bar association of any of the states where she has lived. The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, stated that Zacharia was "especially qualified and very intelligent to help inform the American people." She was the President's sixth principal spokesperson throughout his two terms. The political commentator is a regular guest on the conservative news channels Newsmax and Fox News. Previously, she was a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and worked as a communications advisor for Truth Social, Trump's social media platform, according to her LinkedIn profile. In the early stages of her career, Zacharia worked as an intern for the Republican National Committee and the White House Political Affairs Office during the Bush administration in 2006. In a social media post on Friday, Trump called her "loyal" and a "devoted follower and member of the MAGA movement." He added that she had an "unblemished record of support." Analysis: a critical moment By Anthony Zurcher, BBC correspondent for North America The position of press secretary at the White House is a challenge, even in the best circumstances. And these are not the best circumstances. Zacharia joined the White House just weeks before what is shaping up to be very difficult midterm legislative elections for Trump and the Republican Party. The White House has been besieged by a series of controversies, including corruption allegations that forced the resignation of the United States ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and the abrupt cancellation of plans to publicly broadcast a military execution in December, following broad bipartisan opposition. An experienced press secretary perhaps could have navigated these political "mines" and continued to promote the White House message in the face of growing media frenzy. Zacharia, relatively inexperienced, only fueled the flames. Her wavering performance at Tuesday's press conference, along with doubts about her legal background, ended up sentencing her fate. Subsequent appearances before the press, including an unfriendly interview on Thursday with conservative commentator Sean Hannity, which Trump said he saw, did not help change the situation. As president, in practice, Trump has acted as his own press secretary, making important announcements and changing policies from the Oval Office, the White House gardens, or the runways. However, when his press secretaries have been effective, they have softened relations with the media by providing context to inquisitive journalists and helping to calm latent tensions. At a critical time in his second term, Trump will not have that help. - Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news, documentaries, and analysis alerts, all in one place. Important: the new app is not available in the UK or the United States. - You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and our WhatsApp channel. - And don't forget to subscribe here to our newsletter to receive a special selection of our best content every Friday.