Five days at the podium: Trump removes press secretary Katie Zacharia

President Trump removed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia five days after naming her to the post. Her only briefing was criticized and she admitted failing the California bar exam in 2011, making hers the shortest tenure in memory.

President Donald Trump removed Katie Zacharia, whom he named White House press secretary on Oct. 9, on her fifth day in the job. The New York Times first reported the decision on Friday, and two U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that she was being removed.

Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt after Leavitt stepped aside in August, is believed to have had the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary in memory, bringing to mind Anthony Scaramucci’s 11 days as communications director in Trump’s first term.

One briefing, three outlets

The White House in Washington

At her first and only briefing on Oct. 13, Zacharia read prepared remarks for about 10 minutes and took questions only from Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail. Controversy grew after the Pepperdine Law graduate, who had described herself as a lawyer, acknowledged failing the California bar exam in 2011.

Leaving the White House on Friday, Trump said the press had been “so nasty to her” and added, “Honestly if I were you, I’d reconsider.” Sources said she is expected to take another role in the administration soon; no successor has been named.