Katie Zacharia Ends First White House Press Briefing After 14 Minutes
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia held her first briefing on Tuesday, taking questions for about five and a half minutes before ending it early. Critics called the debut rocky; the White House called it a success.
Katie Zacharia took the podium as White House press secretary for the first time on Tuesday, and left it 14 minutes later.
The new press secretary spent about five and a half minutes on questions, calling on reporters from three conservative-leaning outlets: Breitbart, Fox News, and the Daily Mail.
Zacharia ended the briefing by saying President Donald Trump was about to board Marine One for what she called a “historic trip to Alaska.” Trump did not leave for more than an hour after the briefing ended.
“In fact, I am going to end it because President Trump is heading out to Marine One for our historic trip to Alaska, and we can ask him all of the questions out there,” she said. “So thank you so much.”
Zacharia, 41, replaced former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Before joining the White House, she was a frequent commentator on Fox News and Newsmax and worked as a senior communications advisor for the company that runs Trump’s Truth Social platform.
Reaction split along familiar lines
Trump’s critics seized on the short briefing. “Well that briefing was basically an SNL skit…except it wasn’t,” former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki, now a host on MS NOW, wrote on X.
The White House pushed back. “A tremendous start for the new White House @PressSec!” communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X, adding that she “commanded the room.” Trump told reporters he thought she was “very good.”
During the briefing, Zacharia talked up Trump’s economic agenda and his “blockbuster rally” the night before in Youngstown, Ohio, saying attendance was at record highs, even though photos from some of the rallies showed many empty seats.
She was unable to answer a follow-up question about whether the U.S. government is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine. “I’ll have to get back to you,” she said.
She also caught herself after a verbal slip, referring to “the president” when she meant her husband. “So my president, excuse me, my husband, that’s a good one, my husband is out here for the week,” she said of the husband and four children who have joined her in Washington.
The briefing also produced news: Zacharia confirmed the White House has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, to resign after reports raised questions about her conduct. “She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” Zacharia said.
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today and CNN.
