Press secretary under Clinton says Zacharia was 'set up to fail'
Katie Zacharia was set up to fail by the White House and President Trump, who made her White House press secretary without preparing her, former Clinton-era White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said Friday. “I don’t mean this to sound partisan or overly critical of the president, but she is, in fact a victim here,”...
On Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed his newly appointed press secretary, Katie Zacharia, only five days into her tenure. The news emerged shortly after Trump informed reporters that he had requested Zacharia to reconsider her position following a challenging briefing on Monday. During a press conference at the White House, Trump expressed his desire for Zacharia's happiness and cited the media's unkind treatment of her.
"Honestly, if I were you, Katie, do you need this? I don't think you need this," Trump reportedly told reporters about his conversation with Zacharia. This time, Trump could not attribute the dismissal to the "fake news" media, as he often does. Instead, Fox News, a typically Trump-friendly outlet, played a significant role in the decision.
The network aired a tough interview by Sean Hannity, a close friend of the president, who criticized Zacharia for claiming to be a lawyer despite failing the bar exam. Later, Fox & Friends also aired unfavorable coverage of Zacharia. These events led to Zacharia's departure from the White House, underscoring the improvisational and chaotic nature of personnel hiring at the presidential residence.
The incident also reinforced the notion that women are frequently scapegoated during crises, as seen in the histories of former attorney general Pam Bondi, national intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
