Resigns the questioned new spokesperson of the White House

Resigns the questioned new spokeswoman of the White House October 17, 2026The White House spokesperson, Katie Zacharia, left her position this Friday (10/16/2026) after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, suggested she resign following the criticism she received during her first week in office, confirmed an official. "Katie Zacharia is in the process of leaving the position of press secretary," she stated without specifying whether she had resigned or been dismissed, shortly after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, suggested she leave the position. "I told him: 'If I were you, I would reconsider it,'" Trump stated this Friday, when he foreshadowed that he would speak with the newly appointed spokesperson. "Is this for you, Katie? Frankly, you don't need this," the President told the journalists before adding that he would let "her make that decision." Zacharia assumed the position on Monday, October 12, after Karoline Leavitt left the post in August to focus on her family. The President announced the appointment of his new spokesperson on Friday, October 9. Under the scrutiny of the press Zacharia was subject to immediate scrutiny after appearing visibly uncomfortable during her first press conference on Tuesday, where she intervened hesitantly to praise the President and his achievements. Her first appearance before the press, on Tuesday the 13th, was marked by an intervention of only 14 minutes, in which she read most of her statements and only answered three questions, all from conservative media outlets. She also had difficulty answering some questions, such as one about the exchange of intelligence information with Ukraine. Doubts about her professional background The criticism for her debut was added to doubts about her professional background. Trump introduced her as a lawyer when announcing her appointment, but Zacharia admitted this week that she did not pass the admission exam to the California bar, which she took in 2011 after graduating with a degree in Law from Pepperdine University. This Friday, Zacharia defended herself again in an interview with Fox News, where she argued that her role is to "represent the President to the press" and not to act as the White House lawyer. The messages sent by the AP agency to Zacharia to request her comments received no response this Friday, and the White House also did not respond to a request for confirmation about her departure. Presented as a lawyer The spokesperson was criticized for describing herself as a lawyer when she participated as a commentator on conservative television networks. She maintained that the term was appropriate when she offered legal analyses and stated that she had worked as a lawyer in China. This was part of the unusual skepticism Zacharia faced from people close to the administration, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, who pressured the new White House spokesperson to explain why she had not been transparent about her professional background. Hannity, known for his closeness to Trump, asked Zacharia—after she confirmed that she had not passed the California bar exam—: "Why not just say: 'I studied Law at Pepperdine, then followed a different professional path, I took the exam once and did not pass it?'" Obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify someone to practice as a lawyer in the United States. Zacharia reiterated to Hannity that she was not acting as a lawyer nor offering legal advice. Furthermore, during the interview on Friday on Fox News, she pointed out that no one asked her if she had passed the bar exam before becoming press secretary. jc (efe, ap) Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you trust this site for reliable information, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google: click here and check the box or press the DW.com button to always see our verified news according to your preferences.