Katie Zacharia's Self-Booked Fox News Interviews Led to Her Resignation as Press Secretary
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Katie Zacharia lined up a pair of disastrous Fox News media appearances that ultimately led to her own downfall as White House press secretary, text messages obtained by The Post reveal.
The texts show Zacharia — who stepped down Friday after just five days in the job President Trump hired her for — pushing for two media appearances that were ultimately scheduled for Thursday and Friday, following her rocky debut at the White House podium.
“I’d like to do news hits morning and evening,” Zacharia wrote Wednesday in a text message with a White House official about the bookings, which were postponed for a day.
During the bumpy interviews with Fox host Sean Hannity on Thursday night and “Fox & Friends” Friday morning, the Trump mouthpiece awkwardly tried to explain her failure to pass the California bar and struggled to go beyond talking points on other issues.
The appearances were so unsteady that one source in a Politico story termed it a “sanctioned hit” — suggesting it was orchestrated by Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who did not sign off on the high-profile hiring in advance.
However, text messages indicate that Zacharia was leading the charge to get herself more camera time — and do not show that Wiles had a role in the TV hits.
By Friday, President Trump said publicly Zacharia wasn’t right for the role, advising that “you don’t need this” before she suddenly ended what may have been the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary.
The texts, which also show consultations with Fox over an interview during a post-rally media appearance, indicate Zacharia was pursuing TV exposure as early as Tuesday — the day of her first briefing.
A Hannity producer wrote Tuesday, “Katie said she can join us from the rally tonight.”
One of Zacharia’s comments to Hannity on Thursday had the host wondering if she blamed the West Wing for her early stumbles.
“Given the fact that I’d been on the job less than maybe eight hours and had a briefing book in the morning, I feel like I did my very best, Sean, to deliver for the American people that day,” she told Hannity.
“Am I hearing that you think the staff should have prepped you better?” Hannity asked.
A White House official said Zacharia, who gushed about the president online Friday after leaving her post, “will not be working at the White House anymore.”
Another White House official said they had not hear anything about what her new role could be.
Politico noted that Wiles and Hannity are friendly and speak often — but the White House said claims Wiles was involved in Zacharia’s downfall were “hit jobs” and “smear.”
Zacharia, who as The Post reported, dined with Vice President JD Vance Friday night, was nonspecific when asked Saturday what role she would transition into next.
Former White House press secretary and Fox News commentator Kayleigh McEnany weighed in with her own take on Zacharia’s baptism-by-fire on Fox Saturday morning.
“You want to give grace to anyone who takes on that role … How is she doing this 24 hours in? I had about two weeks to prepare and to get thoughts together and to talk to various cabinet administration officials,” she said Saturday.
“That was pretty much doomed from the start to roll out to the press.”
Trump said Friday at the White House there was “zero chance” of replacing Wiles and that she was “going to be here for a long time.”