Trump’s new spokeswoman shown the door after disastrous debut and lawyer row

Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was dismissed from her role at the White House on Friday after barely a week on the job, following a series of embarrassing blunders that only served to further complicate matters for her boss, President Donald Trump. According to a White House official, Zacharia, 41, has begun transitioning out of her position, as reported by Fox News.

The decision to let her go had become apparent earlier, following Trump's candid remarks to reporters where he expressed his readiness to see her leave amidst the backlash against her performance.

During Trump's first term, the brief tenure of financier Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director was widely panned for its short-lived nature, even spawning an internet meme. Records show that it's not unheard of for such appointments to have a fleeting existence, as Scaramucci himself later noted in a tweet, albeit without any intention of inflicting harm on others.

Zacharia took over the role from Karoline Leavitt, who was responsible for revamping White House coverage by aligning with more favorable media outlets and challenging critical ones with fervor.

Zacharia's press briefing on Tuesday morning was a far cry from the professional presentation she had previously claimed to possess. It lasted less than 15 minutes, beginning with a sluggish recitation of Trump's achievements, followed by just three questions from journalists. Her credibility took a severe hit when it came to light that she had falsely claimed to be a lawyer.

This issue was particularly damaging, given that Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer in various public appearances and on social media, including stating that she held the position of general counsel for a California-based conservative nonprofit. Although she holds a law degree from a California university, she admitted during an interview on Thursday that she had failed the bar exam, a requirement for practicing law in the United States.

In an attempt to rectify the situation, Zacharia embarked on a series of damage-control interviews on pro-Trump outlets, including appearances on Fox News' Sean Hannity show and Real America's Voice. However, these efforts proved futile, with Hannity dismissing her and questioning whether she had retaken the bar exam. She clarified on Thursday that she had never intended to practice law and had only registered to take the bar exam out of a sense of distraction and being overwhelmed by plans to move to China with her husband.

Zacharia's statements regarding China also drew significant criticism. She had previously expressed her perception that China would soon surpass the United States, remarking on how the nation lacked proper toilets during her time there. These remarks were met with backlash, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responding on Friday by suggesting Zacharia visit China more often.