PUERTO RICO · US POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Katie Zacharia, named White House press secretary on Friday, 9 October, is out after five days, and President Donald Trump said on Friday, 16 October, that he urged her to reconsider.
- —Why it matters The press secretary is the president’s daily voice to reporters, so a departure after one briefing leaves the White House without its lead spokesperson and with no successor named.
- —The numbers She took office on Monday, 12 October, gave one briefing of about 14 minutes on Tuesday, 13 October, and was out by day five; the post had been vacant since August.
- —Who is who Zacharia is a conservative commentator and former Trump Media communications adviser; Trump picked her to succeed Karoline Leavitt, press secretary from January 2025 until she left in August.
- —What to watch Trump said he would speak with her after a trip to Georgia, and no successor or acting press secretary has been announced; it is not confirmed whether she resigned or was fired.
- —Prediction markets Polymarket gives about a 20% chance that a new White House press secretary is announced by 31 October and 82% by 31 December (17 October, 2:26 a.m. ET).
- —What it means for you Americans who follow White House policy announcements will see the press office without its lead spokesperson until a successor is named, and her short tenure became a national story.
Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after five days. This explainer sets out what is confirmed and what is not.
The Katie Zacharia White House exit came on Friday, 16 October, five days after she became press secretary. Trump told reporters he had urged her to reconsider, but the White House has not said whether she resigned or was fired.
Puerto Rican outlets Metro Puerto Rico, El Vocero and NotiCel carried the story on Friday. TIME and Newsweek confirm it, and the news report on Zacharia leaving as press secretary follows the latest.
What Happened in the Katie Zacharia White House Exit
Trump announced Zacharia as his pick on Friday, 9 October, to succeed Karoline Leavitt. She started on Monday, 12 October, and held her only briefing on Tuesday, 13 October.
The briefing lasted about 14 minutes, and she took questions from three outlets, TIME reports. On Friday, a White House official told Newsweek she was “transitioning” out of the role.
Trump said he told her, in his words, “if I were you, I’d reconsider,” TIME reports. He added that the decision was ultimately hers and that he would speak with her after a trip to Georgia.
TIME says The New York Times first reported she had been fired, which Trump did not confirm. Newsweek says CNN also reported, citing presidential advisers, that Trump had fired her.
Who Is Who in the Exit
Zacharia is a conservative commentator who worked as a communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs Truth Social. She also served briefly as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, according to ABC News.
Leavitt, her predecessor, became press secretary in January 2025 and left in August, Newsweek reports. Communications Director Steven Cheung called Zacharia “uniquely qualified and whip smart” after her briefing, Newsweek adds.
Lauren Bis serves as senior deputy press secretary, ABC News reports. Zacharia worked under Bis at the Department of Homeland Security, ABC says.
What a White House Press Secretary Does
The press secretary speaks for the president to reporters and the public, usually from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Zacharia said in a Fox News interview that her job is to represent the president to the press, EFE reports.
At her one briefing she read much of her statement and took three questions, EFE reports. Newsweek says it drew criticism over its brevity, her delivery and her reliance on prepared remarks.
Why a Five-Day Tenure Matters
Newsweek calls her departure one of the shortest tenures of a White House press secretary in history. TIME compares it with Anthony Scaramucci’s 11-day run as communications director in 2017.
The office is also vacant again, as it was from Leavitt’s August departure until Zacharia’s start. Commentator Laura Loomer posted on X that she should get the job, Newsweek reports, but no decision has been announced.
The Bar Exam Question
Trump’s Truth Social post called Zacharia an attorney, but she has said she did not pass the bar exam. TIME says she answered “Correct” when asked on air whether she attended Pepperdine law school without passing.
Newsweek says she took the California bar exam once and did not pass it. The State Bar of California told Newsweek it has no record of her being licensed to practice law there.
What It Means for US Readers
Until a successor is named, Americans following White House announcements will see the press office without its lead spokesperson. Puerto Rico is a US territory whose outlets follow Washington closely, as this guide to Puerto Rico’s role in Latin America shows.
The episode also shows how personal the role is: Trump announced the pick himself on Truth Social. Nothing in the confirmed reporting points to a change in White House policy.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket gave about a 20% chance of a new press secretary by 31 October on 17 October, 2:26 a.m. ET. The same market priced 56% by 30 November and 82% by 31 December, with about US$31,000 traded.
A separate Polymarket market on whether Zacharia would be out has resolved Yes, after about US$914,000 in trading across its dates. These are bets, not polls, and they price timing of an announcement, not who will be chosen.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The White House has not said whether Zacharia resigned or was fired, and Trump did not use the word fired. No official reason has been published on whitehouse.gov.
No successor or acting press secretary has been named, and the date of the next briefing is unknown. Trump said she could be moved to another White House role, the Hollywood Reporter says, and no details have been given.
What Happens Next
Trump said he would speak with Zacharia after his trip to Georgia, according to TIME. That is the only scheduled step named in the reporting.
Options for the White House include naming a new press secretary or an acting one, but none has been announced. Nothing in the sources says which course Trump will take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Katie Zacharia?
She is a conservative commentator who worked for Trump Media and briefly as a Homeland Security spokesperson. Trump named her press secretary on 9 October.
Was Katie Zacharia fired or did she resign?
That has not been officially stated. Trump said he told her to reconsider and that the decision was hers, while other outlets report she was fired.
Who replaces Katie Zacharia?
No successor or acting press secretary has been named as of 17 October. The White House has not said how it will fill the post.
Why did the exit happen so quickly?
No official reason has been given. Trump pointed to harsh press coverage after her first briefing, which also drew questions about her bar exam claim.
Why does a press secretary matter?
The press secretary speaks for the president to reporters and the public. Zacharia has said her job is to represent the president to the press.
Sources: Newsweek, 16 October; Hollywood Reporter, 16 October; TIME, 16 October; Metro Puerto Rico; El Vocero; NotiCel; ABC News, 9 October; White House briefings and statements (all accessed 17 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief