Katie Zacharia has praised United States President, Donald Trump following her departure as White House press secretary after just five days in the role, describing him as a “kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man.”
In a post on social media on Friday, Zacharia reflected on her brief time in the position, writing: “It was an honor to work for him.”
She also expressed admiration for the president, adding that nobody would come close to making America great in the way he had and continued to do.
Her statement came after reports emerged that she was leaving the position following a brief and controversial tenure marked by criticism of her first press briefing and questions about her professional credentials.
Trump had earlier suggested that Zacharia reconsider the role, saying he was concerned about the negative media attention she had received.
Speaking to reporters, the president said he had advised her to think about whether remaining in the position was worthwhile, given the criticism she faced.
Zacharia’s appointment had attracted scrutiny after her first White House briefing, which lasted about 14 minutes and included questions from only three reporters.
She also faced questions about describing herself as a lawyer despite not passing the California bar examination.
Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the exam but maintained that there was misinformation surrounding how she had presented her legal background.
Before joining the White House, she worked in communications for Trump Media, the company behind the president’s social media platform, Truth Social.
Her departure brings an abrupt end to one of the shortest tenures in the history of the White House press secretary position.
