White House Spokeswoman Fired After Four Days Amid “Misrepresented Credentials” Controversy

White House spokeswoman Katie Zacharia left her post on October 16 (local time), just four days after taking up the job.

According to foreign media outlets, including the BBC, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that day that he had said to Zacharia, "You don't have to do this job if you don't want to. Think it over," adding, "Maybe this job isn't right for her."

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Asked whether his remarks meant that Zacharia had been fired, President Trump said, "No. I want her to have a good life," adding, "She has been harshly attacked by the media."

However, shortly after the remarks, the White House officially confirmed that Zacharia had been fired.

Zacharia was announced as White House spokeswoman on October 9 and began the job on October 12, but was soon embroiled in allegations that she had misrepresented her credentials and in questions about her qualifications. She had introduced herself as a lawyer on television and elsewhere, but reportedly failed the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011.

She was also criticized for her performance as spokeswoman after taking questions only from three conservative media outlets and leaving during her first White House briefing on October 13.

Zacharia had worked as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the operator of Truth Social, the social media platform founded by President Trump.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.