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Katie Zacharia blames media for troubled stint as White House press secretary

ABC News Australia •
October 29, 2026 • 09:41 AM
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Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has doubled down on support for Donald Trump.

Katie Zacharia blames media for troubled stint as White House press secretary

Katie Zacharia on one of her first media appearances since leaving the White House. ( ABC: Piers Morgan Uncensored )

The former White House press secretary continues to defend President Donald Trump despite being pushed out of the role after just five days.

Katie Zacharia has spoken for the first time since her dismissal, blaming the media for making her job difficult.

Mr Trump has said he intends to name Ms Zacharia's replacement after the US midterm elections next week.

Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has broken her silence 10 days after her abrupt departure from the administration.

Ms Zacharia's legal credentials came under scrutiny after a truncated first press briefing raised questions over her suitability for the position.

It all seemed to come crashing down for Ms Zacharia after two appearances on Fox News, where she admitted she had failed the bar exam.

Katie Zacharia only answered three questions from conservative-leaning news outlets at her first White House press briefing. ( AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson )

In a media appearance at the time, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had advised her to reconsider the position, bringing her tenure after just five days in the office.

The pair appeared to part ways cordially, with Mr Trump accusing the media of treating her "pretty nastily".

Ms Zacharia later penned an op-ed for the New York Post saying the "call" to serve the president was an "honor" she was proud of.

"I've always wanted to work for President Donald Trump," she wrote.

"Being back in California feels like an interlude, a temporary pause between the work that matters most," she wrote.

Katie Zacharia was asked about her legal credentials before heading to Alaska. ( Reuters: Kevin Lamarque )

Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored this week, Ms Zacharia doubled down on her loyalty to Mr Trump and did not rule out working for his administration if the opportunity arose again.

"I would love to work for the president again," Ms Zacharia told Morgan on Wednesday, local time.

She said she had since returned to her home state of California, where she plans to continue to "fight" for Mr Trump, whom she described as a "force of nature" and an "incredible president to serve".

When Morgan asked about the firestorm after her first press briefing and the backlash over the misrepresentation of her legal credentials, Ms Zacharia blamed the media for leading the public down a "red herring trail" that distracted attention from Mr Trump ahead of crucial midterm elections.

As she continued to pledge her loyalty to Mr Trump, Morgan accused her of being a "robot".

"Has Donald Trump got some program plugged into you to make you say all of this?" he asked.

The United States goes to the polls next week, where voters will decide which major party will control the House of Representatives and the Senate for the remainder of Mr Trump's administration.

Ms Zacharia, a staunch supporter of Mr Trump since his first term in office, told Morgan that initial polling showed the Senate race would be "tight" and the House would prove to be an "uphill battle".

In the lead-up to the midterms, Mr Trump has drawn criticism for attempting to block alleged non-citizens from voting in California .

Meanwhile, he has continued to host rallies around the country, recently addressing Ms Zacharia's departure from the White House at one such event.

"She was a perfect, beautiful woman when she walked into that press room," he told the crowd.

He blamed the media for "scaring" the former press secretary, telling the crowd that he told her there were easier ways to make a living.

Mr Trump has yet to appoint the next press secretary, having earlier said he had no plans to do so until after the midterms.

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