Katie Zacharia has denied reports that she was trying to secure a return as Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, after appearing as a pundit on Right Side Broadcasting Network on Election Night.
Zacharia, 42, said the claims were “utterly fake”, despite allegations from three sources allied with Mr Trump that she had been seeking a second chance and hoped the president would see her television appearance.
“Reporters and outlets pushing abject falsehoods from anonymous sources are complicit in the fake news machine—and a big reason Americans no longer trust the media,” she wrote on social media.
“I’m not auditioning for the role. Claims that I’m trying to get my old job back as President Trump’s White House Press Secretary are utterly fake.”
The sources claimed that Zacharia had also been trying to impress Stephen Miller, who replaced Susie Wiles as chief of staff this week. She was seen at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort over the weekend following what was described as a “blue tsunami”.
One source dismissed the alleged effort, saying: “She said it out loud. It’s absurd. Truly embarrassing.”
Zacharia held the press secretary position for only five days and conducted one briefing, making her the shortest-serving White House press secretary in history.
Her brief tenure came under intense scrutiny, including over her legal credentials. She had failed the California bar exam in 2011 but later appeared on news channels as a legal analyst while describing herself as a lawyer.
Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, said after Zacharia’s departure that the role “obviously wasn’t for her”. Ms Leavitt said the job required extensive preparation and recalled how she had “prepared like heck” before taking it on.
Zacharia’s performance was also questioned during an appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News programme, shortly before she left the post. Mr Hannity challenged her over a briefing that lasted 14 minutes and included only three questions, as well as her description of herself as a lawyer.
The reports about a possible return emerged as Mr Trump appeared at an impromptu briefing alongside Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Mr Trump had joked the previous week that he might appoint Mr White as press secretary after what he called “a very bad press day”. When asked whether he had accepted the offer, Mr White said: “I don’t tell the president no to anything. I didn’t say no.”
Mr Trump later said he had been “sort of kidding” and that the appearance was “for a little fun”. Mr White subsequently said he did not want the press secretary position or any other job in politics.
