DOMINANT ANGLE
London sees Katie Zacharia's lightning-fast downfall as a symptom of disorder at the White House, between a record for brevity, a disputed lawyer title, and a recruitment made without the chief of staff.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Zacharia lasted five days, compared to 11 for Anthony Scaramucci in 2017, according to The Independent, which talks of a new record for brevity.
- 02
Her first press point lasted 14 minutes for three questions, according to the Daily Mail; she admitted Thursday to Sean Hannity that she had failed the bar exam.
- 03
Trump says he advised her to "reconsider" and denies having fired her, while a White House official confirms her departure.
ANALYSIS
London, 16 October 2026. For the British press, the affair is a record first and foremost. The Independent writes that Donald Trump dismissed Katie Zacharia "exactly one week" after announcing her recruitment, and that her five days in office beat the 11 days of Anthony Scaramucci in 2017. The latter welcomed the news on X: "Records are made to be broken", adding that he took "no pleasure in the pain of others".
The Daily Mail details the sequence. On Tuesday, 13 October, the 41-year-old spokesperson held a first press conference of 14 minutes, with only three questions, all from conservative media. On Thursday, 15 October, she admitted to Sean Hannity on Fox News that she had never passed the bar exam: "You did not pass the bar exam, correct?", "Correct". She added that she would have "probably should have bowed out" rather than answering questions, having been in office for only a few hours.
The Independent insists on the unusual harshness of this interview. Journalist Aaron Rupar sees Hannity "moving in for the kill", and Will Sommer, from The Bulwark, judges that it is the "toughest" interview the host has ever given to a Republican. The newspaper also recalls that Zacharia, a graduate of Pepperdine, had situated her bar exam "when I moved to China", before saying about this response that she had misheard the question.
On Friday, 16 October, Trump stated to the press that the media had treated her "very, very badly" and told her: "if I were you, I would reconsider". When asked if he was firing her, he replied to the Daily Mail: "No, I want her to have a good life". However, a White House official confirmed that she was leaving, and Trump says he is "in no hurry" to appoint a successor.
Andrew Feinberg's analysis in The Independent broadens the subject: this recruitment, made without consulting chief of staff Susie Wiles, could announce other dysfunctions. The Daily Mail recalls that she had only held the position of communications advisor at the Department of Homeland Security for six weeks earlier in the year. Both titles finally relay the online mockery, including that of Democratic Representative Malcolm Kenyatta: "How many Scaramuccis are in a Zacharia?"
SOURCES (2)
- The IndependentMEDIUM
- Daily MailMEDIUM
