Follow-up: Trump Says He Told Press Secretary Zacharia to Reconsider Staying in the Job

Washington — President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on October 16, before departing for a midterm campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, that he had advised his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, to reconsider whether to stay in the job, and that he would speak with her again after returning to Washington, according to the Associated Press.
Trump said he believed Zacharia had been treated unfairly by the media and told her she did not have to go through it. He said the final decision on her future was hers. The White House has not announced any decision on whether Zacharia will leave, nor the timing of the next press briefing.
Zacharia took office on October 12 and held her first briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on October 13, which lasted about 14 minutes and took three questions. Her description of herself as a lawyer has since faced scrutiny: the Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on October 14, a development GSM reported on October 15. Asked on Fox News on October 16 whether she still had the president's confidence, Zacharia said she hoped to build the trust and confidence of those around her.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图:白宫新闻秘书凯蒂·扎卡里亚2026年10月13日在白宫布雷迪新闻简报室主持首场简报会(P20261013AH-0494)。白宫官方照片,公共领域,经 Wikimedia Commons / Photo: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia at her first briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on Oct. 13, 2026. Official White House photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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