Katie Zacharia has now put out a statement following reports that she is leaving the White House press secretary role after less than one week on the job.
Her message was brief, unmistakably warm toward President Trump, and written in the past tense.
Zacharia praised the president as kind, gracious, enthusiastic, and hardworking, then told Americans no one could make the country great the way he has.
She closed with the line that confirmed the change: serving President Trump “was an honor.”
Here is Zacharia’s full statement:
President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.
It was an honor to work for him. https://t.co/Tp4NizrhE2
— Katie Zacharia (@KatieZacharia) October 17, 2026
The statement came hours after a senior White House official said Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the position.
That report was relayed publicly by Fox News correspondent Aishah Hasnie:
A senior White House official tells @pdoocy Katie ZACHARIA is “transitioning out” of the press secretary position.
— Aishah Hasnie (@aishahhasnie) October 16, 2026
Earlier Friday, President Trump defended Zacharia and made clear that the decision followed an extraordinary barrage of attacks from the media.
“Katie Zacharia has been treated very badly by the media — very, very badly. Very unfairly,” the president said.
Video of President Trump’s comments shows the context behind the sudden change:
.@POTUS: “@KatieZacharia has been treated very badly by the media — very, very badly. Very unfairly.” pic.twitter.com/DUx6f2ZCMb
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 16, 2026
The Gateway Pundit reports that Zacharia personally said she had not been fired. The outlet’s timeline says President Trump spoke with her Friday after a week of intense criticism following her first briefing.
He told reporters the press had treated her “very badly” and “very unfairly,” and asked whether the job was worth enduring that treatment.
The report says Fox News then carried the “transitioning out” confirmation from a senior White House official. Hours later, Zacharia’s own message thanked President Trump and described serving him in the past tense.
She did not identify a successor, announce another role, or suggest that her departure changed her support for Trump. No timetable for naming her replacement appeared in the report.
The sequence moved from Zacharia’s first White House briefing Monday to an official transition report Friday, followed by her public farewell statement later that night. Her statement praised Trump’s character and work ethic without criticizing the administration or the president.
The White House now faces another press-secretary search after a tenure that lasted less than one week.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
