USAupdated 17m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 13 October 2026Katie Zacharia Denies Auditioning for White House Press Secretary Role After Five-Day Tenure
“anonymous sources reportedly suggesting she was eager to regain the president’s favor.”
“this story is utterly fake.”
Photo: Andrea Hanks / The White House / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Katie Zacharia denies auditioning for the White House press secretary role. Claims of a comeback followed shake-up involving Trump's chief of staff.
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Comeback Rumors Denied
Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia denied reports that she was “auditioning for the role” after her five-day tenure ended last month, with multiple outlets tying the speculation to her relationship with President Donald Trump and newly appointed chief of staff Stephen Miller. Zacharia told TMZ, “I maintain a loyal and great relationship with the President, but this story is utterly fake,” and she added, “I’m not auditioning for the role.” The reports described Zacharia as seeking another opportunity to take up the position after her brief stint, and they said sources close to Trump claimed she was trying to regain his support.
Zacharia took office on October 12 and was fired on October 16, while her sole White House press briefing lasted 14 minutes and ended after five days. The Independent said Trump publicly admitted he suggested to Zacharia she vacate the press secretary position, quoting him as saying, “I said to Katie just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this.”
Anonymous Sources and Pushback
The Times of India said three people familiar with the matter told The New York Post that Zacharia had been attempting to build favour with Trump and Stephen Miller, and it described her reported plan as using her appearance on Right Side Broadcasting Network during election-night coverage on Tuesday.
A source said, “She said it out loud,” and it described the plan as “absurd” and “truly embarrassing.”
Zacharia pushed back on social media, and The Independent quoted her telling TMZ, “I maintain a loyal and great relationship with the President, but this story is utterly fake.”
The Blast said Zacharia responded on X to the anonymous sourcing, writing, “I find it quite ironic that after Friday’s Chief of Staff change—Susie out, Miller in—the only thing these ‘anonymous White House sources’ can do is leak more fake news about me.”
The Blast also said Trump had encouraged her to leave, and it quoted him as complaining that the press had been nasty to her, while The Times of India said a White House official dismissed her return as “She never stopped. She's psychotic.”
Next Communications Shakeup
The Times of India said the press secretary position remains vacant following Zacharia's departure, and it reported that Trump replaced Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff with Stephen Miller. The Times of India said Zacharia was seen at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida over the weekend as the President prepared for further changes within his administration, and it quoted a source observing her at the resort's patio on Saturday. The Independent said Trump floated UFC CEO Dana White as the next press secretary after the chief of staff change, and it reported that Trump later claimed the suggestion was a joke.
“Trump announced he had offered the UFC boss the position, calling him a ‘violent Fighter and Warrior.’”
The Blast said White House communications director Steven Cheung jokingly floated Nicki Minaj after the rapper praised Trump, and it said Trump called the suggestion a good idea. Atlanta Black Star said Trump announced he had offered the UFC boss the position and called him a “violent Fighter and Warrior,” while it also said Trump proposed bringing MMA fighters along as assistants to help defend against what he called the “Lunatic Left.”