Katie Zacharia pushed for ‘disastrous’ Fox News interviews before White House exit, report claims

Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary, was dismissed after a mere five-day tenure following contentious interviews on Fox News. Her brief tenure started on Monday, and she had arrived in Washington the previous day. White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, allegedly orchestrated the interviews, despite not approving Zacharia's hiring initially.

Text messages revealed that Zacharia herself pushed for two Fox News appearances, scheduled for the days following her first briefing at the White House. She expressed willingness to participate in morning and evening news segments, even seeking TV time as early as Tuesday, the day of her first briefing. On Thursday night, Zacharia appeared on Sean Hannity's show, followed by a segment on "Fox & Friends" the next morning.

Despite her brief and rocky first briefing, she managed to handle the tough questions from Hannity, downplaying her failure to pass the California bar exam. The interviews were deemed a "sanctioned hit" by a Politico source, suggesting White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' involvement in planning them. However, The Post contended that the texts did not indicate Wiles' participation in the TV appearances.

Former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany criticized the rollout of Zacharia's appointment, alleging it was doomed from the start. In a statement, Zacharia expressed her gratitude for working under President Trump.