Pressesekretær slaktes etter debuten: – Bisarr

Katie Zacharia, Donald Trump's newly appointed press secretary, had her debut at the White House on Tuesday, lasting only 14 minutes amidst questions from just three media outlets. This was a stark contrast to her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, whose debut lasted over 45 minutes. Fellow journalists present reportedly fainted in embarrassment, and reactions were mixed, eliciting both support and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.

A former high-ranking Trump administration employee speculated to MS NOW that Zacharia would prove to be "a complete disaster." CNN reported on internal turmoil within the White House, citing anonymous sources. Kaitlan Collins, CNN's White House correspondent, labeled the press conference "ridiculous," stating that she hadn't witnessed such a short press briefing before.

Zacharia faced criticism for not answering certain questions, notably one regarding the US halting intelligence sharing with Ukraine, following a Financial Times report that the US had threatened to cut intelligence cooperation with Ukraine. Trump's aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner allegedly pushed for the threat during a meeting with Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday.

Zacharia failed to address the issue directly, instead referring journalists to the president, who had promised to share intelligence with Ukraine. Communication director Steven Cheung tweeted that Zacharia got a "fantastic start," and Trump himself praised her performance. However, former Trump administration insider Eirik Løkke is skeptical, stating he's unsure if the praise was warranted.

Løkke believes the move is part of the White House's strategy to portray Zacharia as a success to the MAGA base. During the press conference, Zacharia struggled with her words and frequently referred to notes. Her attempt to prioritize family life drew particular ridicule. "Not spending evenings with my children is completely unacceptable," she said, referring to her husband.

After the press conference, Zacharia appeared to wobble, attempting to regain composure by shifting focus to Trump's family-oriented persona. "I see she's getting a lot of flak on social media and in the press, but I think that's less important for Trump and the MAGA movement," Løkke says. Løkke believes Zacharia managed okay given the circumstances, adding that her primary goal was to reinforce Trump's image as "the most family-friendly president we've ever had."

Løkke predicts Zacharia will face tough questions from journalists in the future, but how she chooses to respond remains to be seen. She opted not to comment on matters she wasn't certain about, as it was likely Trump hadn't briefed her on the intelligence-sharing situation with Ukraine. Løkke suggests that refusing to answer such questions is better than lying.