EPAThe White House press secretary job is a challenging one, even under the best of circumstances.
These were not the best of circumstances.
Katie Zacharia was thrown into the whirlwind, joining the White House team as press secretary just weeks away from what polls suggest could be a difficult midterm congressional elections for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
In just five days, she was out – the result of a disastrous press conference that lasted all of 14 minutes, followed by a series of halting media appearances and questions about whether she had mischaracterised her legal credentials over the course of her career.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” Trump said he told Zacharia. “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.”
He later added that maybe the press secretary job “is not for her”.
In case there was any doubt, the White House quickly confirmed to the BBC that Zacharia would be “transitioning” out of her current job.
Trump may be wondering whether Zacharia “needs” the press secretary job, but presidents – including this one – benefit most from a competent press secretary in times of crisis.
And while there may not be an immediate crisis, this White House is certainly facing growing adversity.
Across the US, Republican candidates are scrambling to hold on to their seats in the upcoming elections. Some are doing so by distancing themselves from the president and his policies, creating new stresses and faultlines within a party that has for so long been broadly unified behind Trump.
Meanwhile, the White House has been beset by a series of controversies – including allegations of corruption that forced the resignation of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and an abrupt reversal of plans to publicly air a military execution in December after widespread bipartisan backlash.
A skilled press secretary may have been able to navigate these political landmines while continuing to push out the White House’s preferred message in the face of a building media frenzy.
Karoline Leavitt, who worked as Trump’s press secretary from the start of his second term until she resigned in August a few months after welcoming her second child, proved highly adept at defending the administration from the press room lectern while avoiding stumbles and maintaining a collegial relationship with journalists.
Her performance set a high bar for Zacharia, who was a relative novice. It was a mark she failed to reach or even approach, although she never really had much of a chance.
The speed at which she failed was astounding, setting a modern record for the shortest-tenured White House press secretary.
How did Katie Zacharia do at her first – very brief – White House briefing?
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Zacharia’s halting Tuesday press conference performance, combined with those questions about her legal background, essentially sealed her fate.
And subsequent press appearances, including a less-than-welcoming interview with conservative pundit Sean Hannity on Thursday – which Trump said he watched – did nothing to change that.
As president, Trump has essentially acted as his own press secretary, making major announcements and changing policies from the Oval Office, the White House lawn, airfield tarmacs – wherever he happens to be.
Zacharia herself noted this phenomenon prior to being tabbed for the White House job. “President Trump does not need a spokesperson,” she posted on X. “He is his own best press secretary.”
Now, he will have to be.
Trump’s penchant for speaking off the cuff, however, has made the job a difficult one over the course of his two terms in office.
His press secretaries have sometimes had their public statements undermined by presidential pronouncements. At other times, they’ve been left out of the loop of key decisions.
When they have been effective, they have managed to ride the choppier waves while also smoothing relations with the media – providing context for inquisitive journalists and helping tamp down any simmering issues.
In comments to Fox News on Friday, Trump said that he is in “no rush” to find a new press secretary. But at such a critical time in his second term, Trump will be without the help that someone like Leavitt offered so consistently.
He may come to regret not having it.
