Katie Zacharia has departed as White House press secretary after five days in the job, according to reports carried by o2 and other outlets. The news, first circulated by American media, has not been confirmed officially, though o2 reports that President Donald Trump himself encouraged her to reconsider staying in the role.
Zacharia, 42, started on Monday, taking over from Karoline Leavitt. Her exit was reported on Friday, 16 October 2026, closing out a week that began with a single press briefing and ended with questions about her credentials.
Why it matters
The press secretary's job is one of the most visible in any White House, and a five-day tenure is rare even by the standards of a revolving communications shop. The vacancy leaves the administration without a confirmed on-camera voice at a moment when Trump is fielding questions on multiple fronts, and it draws fresh attention to how quickly senior communications staff have turned over in his orbit.
The comparison to Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted 11 days as White House communications director in 2017, was immediate — and Scaramucci himself made it.
Scaramucci's response: "records are meant to be broken"
Scaramucci, who held the communications director post for 11 days during Trump's first term, addressed the news on X, according to o2. He wrote that records exist to be broken, adding that he takes no pleasure in someone else's difficulties.
In a follow-up post, he spoke directly to Zacharia, describing himself as a global authority on short White House stints. He advised her to step away from news coverage and spend time with family, and said she would eventually see the situation as a favour.
The exchange gave the story a second life online, turning a personnel decision into a moment of self-aware commentary from a figure who knows the experience firsthand.
A brief and difficult week
Zacharia's first briefing, held Tuesday, ran about 14 minutes, o2 reports. She took questions from three news organisations before wrapping up, explaining that Trump was preparing to leave by helicopter.
That session drew criticism from media figures. Reports circulated that Zacharia had not passed the California bar exam despite describing herself as a lawyer, a claim that fuelled scrutiny of her background during her short time in the post.
Trump's own account of their conversation suggested he was already steering her toward the exit. o2 quotes him saying that, honestly, he would think it over if he were in her position.
Before joining the White House, Zacharia worked as a communications adviser at Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind the president's social platform, Truth Social. She also appeared as a commentator on Fox News and Newsmax, and served at the Department of Homeland Security as a close associate of then-secretary Kristi Noem.
That résumé placed her firmly inside Trump's media and political network, which makes the speed of her departure notable. She arrived with relationships across the president's communications operation and left before completing a full week.
What to watch
No official statement has confirmed the departure, and no successor has been named. Watch for a formal announcement from the White House and for who steps into the briefing room next — and whether that person lasts longer than five days.
