Press Secretary Zacharia Leaves After Five Days as White House Delays Naming Successor
Photo: SemaforKatie Zacharia left her job as White House press secretary after five days, the shortest tenure in U.S. history, and President Donald Trump is not expected to name a successor before the midterm elections. Communications director Steven Cheung told Semafor a briefing would come soon, though a new press secretary likely won't lead it if it happens before the midterms. One person familiar with the matter said no pick will be named before the election. Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left in August to focus on her two young children, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that she is helping Trump search and that the job was not right for Zacharia. The White House has also threatened legal action against Politico over its reporting on chief of staff Susie Wiles; Politico corrected one article but defended its other reporting.
Semafor leads with the hiring timeline and midterm focus, citing Cheung and an unnamed source. The Daily Wire centers on Leavitt's comments about Zacharia and her own plans. NPR's excerpt turns to the wider White House-press conflict, citing a New York Times report that the administration is considering moving the press corps out of the White House.
How the sides differ Alternative sources stress the delayed hiring and Politico dispute; right sources feature Leavitt on the departure; left sources focus on a report of moving the press corps.
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NPR frames the story as a broader escalation in Trump's conflict with the press, citing a New York Times report that the White House is considering moving the press corps out of the building.
Semafor focuses on the vacancy and when briefings might resume, quoting communications director Steven Cheung and an unnamed source, and notes the Politico dispute over reporting on Susie Wiles.
The Daily Wire centers on Karoline Leavitt's Fox News Digital interview, in which she wished Zacharia well, said she is helping find a successor, and ruled out running for office.