Trump's press secretary is out after less than a week

Summary

Katie Zacharia was pushed out Friday after less than a week as White House press secretary, France 24 reports, following blunders that added to distractions for President Donald Trump. The Financial Times describes her sacking as the latest in a week of embarrassing administration missteps, saying White House chaos overshadowed Trump's midterms push; The Japan Times also says blunders that distracted Trump led to her dismissal. This follows earlier reports that the White House was defending Zacharia amid questions about her credentials.

Timeline

1. The Japan Times

   17 Oct 2026, 02:37 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that a series of blunders that added distractions for Trump led to the dismissal of his new press secretary, who had been in the role for less than a week.

2. France 24

   17 Oct 2026, 10:36 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that Katie Zacharia was pushed out Friday after less than a week as press secretary following blunders that added to distractions for Trump.

3. Financial Times

   17 Oct 2026, 18:57 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that the sacking of press secretary Katie Zacharia followed embarrassing administration missteps over the past week, as White House chaos overshadowed Trump's midterms push.