USAupdated 35m ago3 min read
Katie Zacharia Holds First White House Press Briefing, Ends After 15 Minutes
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Trump announced Katie Zacharia as press secretary, succeeding Karoline Leavitt who left in August. Her first briefing lasted about 14 minutes, with questions from only a few reporters.
Zacharia Debuts, Briefing Short
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia held her first briefing on Tuesday, ending it after about 15 minutes and calling on three reporters for questions before wrapping up. Zacharia told reporters, "I am going to end it because President Trump is heading out to Marine One for our historic trip to Alaska, and we can ask him all of the questions out there," as she cut the session short. Trump praised Zacharia after the briefing, saying, "I thought she was very good," as he responded to a reporter's question before departing the White House.
Karoline Leavitt’s briefings had lasted for about an average of 45 minutes, and CNN said a Reliable Sources analysis found Leavitt held formal briefings about once a week on average before having her second child. Zacharia appeared to have names written down ahead of time, and CNN reported that she called on reporters from conservative outlet Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail.
Guilfoyle Resignation, Bar Exam
Zacharia used the briefing to announce that President Donald Trump asked Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, and Zacharia said, "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign." Zacharia also faced questions about whether she passed the bar exam, and Zacharia said she had passed the bar "when she moved to China," while not clearly stating where she had taken the exam. Fox News reported that Zacharia declined to say whether the U.S. has stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, and Zacharia said she would have to confirm the information after the briefing.
Zacharia told reporters her family would be a priority as she stepped into the role, and she said, "I am pleased to announce that Katie Zacharia will be beginning her term as Press Secretary tomorrow, Columbus Day" in a statement attributed to the White House. The briefing’s brevity and the limited number of questions became part of the immediate reaction, with The Hill later quoting Anthony Scaramucci on X as saying, "The clock is running."
New Media Seat, Next Test
Zacharia committed to continuing the "new media" rotation in the briefing room, and she said, "We are absolutely going to keep it," referring to the seat. PBS News reported that Breitbart sat in the briefing room as part of the "new media" rotation created under her predecessor, and Zacharia said she would expand it "to the extent possible." Zacharia framed her job as amplification of Trump’s agenda, and she said, "I get to do what I was doing on the outside already, which was hoping to amplify, multiply and expand upon President Trump's incredible agenda for the American people."
USA Today reported that Zacharia ended her first briefing after 14 minutes and said, "In fact, I am going to end it because President Trump is heading out to Marine One for our historic trip to Alaska, and we can answer all of the questions out there," as reporters shouted questions after she wrapped up. The White House communications director Steven Cheung later posted on X that Zacharia had a "tremendous start," and Trump told reporters, "I thought she was very good," before boarding Marine One.