McEnany: Zacharia had "very little runway" before first briefing

Zacharia confirms White House asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign

Kayleigh McEnany, a Fox News host who served as White House press secretary in President Trump’s first administration, said Tuesday that Katie Zacharia had “very little runway” before her debut at the White House podium. A senior administration official said Zacharia, juggling a family move to Washington, had less than 24 hours to prepare and received her briefing materials that morning.

Zacharia was selected by Trump last week to replace Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August. She stepped into one of the world’s most scrutinized jobs on Tuesday, and her first briefing drew wall-to-wall coverage and produced mixed reviews from administration allies and outside observers. She read directly from a list of the president’s accomplishments, her voice at times halting, and took only three questions before directing reporters to speak with Trump directly. During the session, she accidentally referred to her husband as “my president.” The briefing lasted less than 15 minutes.

White House press secretaries across both Republican and Democratic administrations refer to the role as the most difficult job in all of Washington — one made harder by a demanding boss like Trump who often brags about being his own best spokesman.

The White House heralded Zacharia’s debut as “a commanding inaugural press briefing.” One former senior administration official described the inaugural showing as a “solid effort.” Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, said Zacharia “came off perhaps a bit nervous reading the prepared statement, but very relatable and likeable.” Despite the abbreviated briefing, he noted that Zacharia made news, concluding: “Solid start — good for her!”

Other administration officials, watching from their desks, picked up on nervousness in her voice and wondered why Trump had pushed the new press secretary in front of the cameras so quickly rather than easing her into the job.

Online critics wondered if her tenure would last longer than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as communications director during Trump’s first term and was fired after 11 days following an expletive-filled interview he gave to The New Yorker attacking senior White House staff. “The clock is running,” Scaramucci wrote of Zacharia in a social-media post. “Thus far 1/11th of a Scaramucci.”

Prominent outside Trump allies noted that first days seldom go off without a hitch. Megyn Kelly, the conservative podcast host, said during her show Tuesday that Zacharia’s first briefing “did not go particularly well” but stressed that she has room to improve. “If she is still at this job a year from now, she’s going to be way better at it,” Kelly said, “and there’s really no shortcutting that journey from A to Z.”

The briefing’s breaking news came when Zacharia confirmed that the White House had asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to leave her post. “We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” Zacharia said in response to a question about the ambassador, in light of Wall Street Journal reporting that Guilfoyle had solicited $100,000 from a Trump donor in the run-up to her confirmation hearing last year.

“There’s nothing that makes the job of a White House Press Secretary easier than delivering hard news,” Ari Fleischer, who served as White House press secretary during George W. Bush’s administration, said during a Fox News interview.

Zacharia comes to the role as a relative novice to briefing the press. She previously served as a communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the Truth Social platform, and briefly worked at the Department of Homeland Security earlier in Trump’s second term. She caught the president’s attention defending him on cable news outlets including CNN, Fox News and Newsmax.

Her LinkedIn notes she graduated from Pepperdine Caruso law school. When a reporter asked Trump, on his way to board Marine One after the briefing, where she passed the bar, the president looked to Zacharia and asked “which state?” “When I moved to China,” Zacharia responded. According to her LinkedIn, she worked in Beijing as an associate for Zhong Lun Law Firm. A White House official said Zacharia had previously moved to China because of her husband’s job in private equity and that she worked on international transaction law while there.

During the briefing, Zacharia vowed to keep the so-called new media seat — reserved for new or lesser-known outlets — that was installed last year by Leavitt and said she wanted to “expand on it to the extent possible.” She did not forecast how often press briefings would be held. Leavitt had held them roughly once a week, while previous press secretaries generally briefed reporters on a daily basis. A senior administration official said Zacharia will brief the press when the president asks.

Zacharia stepped into the role at a moment when Trump’s already strained relationship with the press has grown increasingly contentious. CNN, Politico and MS NOW have sued the administration after being banned from the White House. A federal judge is expected to rule soon on whether the ban can remain in place as litigation proceeds.

While her inaugural briefing was carried across cable and network television, Zacharia received positive reviews from the president afterward. As Trump walked to the helipad to depart for a campaign rally, he praised his newest hire, telling reporters: “I thought she was very good.”