US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia reconsider her position, saying she had faced harsh treatment from the media and that the job might not be right for her.Meanwhile, Zacharia is “transitioning out” of the position, Fox News reported, citing a White House officialSpeaking to reporters, Trump said he had personally advised Zacharia to consider whether she wanted to continue in the role, which she took up less than a week ago. He added that the decision would ultimately be hers.“I said to Katie just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want,” Trump told reporters. “She said, this is a lot tougher. I said, welcome to the world of Trump.”Asked whether he intended to retain her, Trump said he would leave the decision to her.“I’m going to let her make that decision,” he said, adding that he wanted her to be happy.Trump repeatedly defended Zacharia, describing her as a “nice person” and a “great person”, while criticising the media coverage she had received since becoming the administration’s chief spokesperson.“She’s been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly. Very unfairly, I think,” he said.Referring to her recent television appearances, Trump said she had faced tough questioning on Fox News programmes, including interviews with Sean Hannity and Fox & Friends.“I don’t think they’ll ever ease up,” he said, adding that he had advised her to reconsider the position because of the pressure involved.“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” Trump said he had told her.He also referred to Zacharia’s husband and children, saying she did not need to put herself through the pressure if she did not want to.
Scrutiny over legal credentials
Zacharia’s first days as White House press secretary have been marked by scrutiny over her professional background and her debut press briefing, which lasted around 14 minutes and drew criticism for its brevity and her reliance on notes.She has also faced questions over her use of the terms “lawyer” and “attorney”, after it emerged that she had not passed the bar exam required to practise law in the United States.Trump had described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment. Zacharia, who graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011, has said she worked in international transaction law and that she used the term “lawyer” rather than “attorney” to distinguish her description from that of a licensed legal practitioner.During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Zacharia defended her performance at her first briefing, saying she had little time to prepare between accepting the job and facing reporters.She also said she was being hired as White House press secretary rather than White House counsel.A watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, had filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association seeking an investigation into whether Zacharia had repeatedly presented herself as qualified to practise law without a licence.The White House has defended her appointment. Communications director Steven Cheung described Zacharia as “uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people”, according to the BBC.
Trump says he wants her to be happy
Despite raising doubts about whether Zacharia should remain in the role, Trump said he was not necessarily asking her to leave.“Look, she has suffered over the last few days,” he said. “And I’m not saying, you know, I mean, maybe it’s not for her.”When asked what he wanted her to do, Trump replied: “I just want her to be happy.”Zacharia replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the position in August. Her appointment had been presented as a rapid transition into the role, but the scrutiny over her initial briefing and legal credentials has placed her under pressure during her first week.Trump did not announce a decision on her future, saying instead that Zacharia would have to decide whether she wanted to continue as White House press secretary.
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