Key facts
- Katie Zacharia made her debut as White House press secretary on Tuesday.
- Zacharia's debut was characterized by a stilted delivery and lack of emotion.
- She took three questions during her 14-minute press briefing.
- Zacharia announced that Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign.
- Zacharia claimed her husband would not accept her not spending evenings with their children.
- Trump stated he thought Zacharia was "very good" after her debut.
Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, made her debut on Tuesday, exhibiting a stilted delivery and an eerie lack of emotion, drawing comparisons to an AI avatar. She presented pro-Trump talking points, took only three questions, and concluded her briefing after 14 minutes.
Zacharia's past was described as a mystery, with her claim of being a lawyer met with skepticism after she unconvincingly stated she passed the bar exam "When I moved to China." She was previously at the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump Media and Technology Group.
During the briefing, Zacharia echoed Sean Spicer's debut by falsely boasting about "record highs" in attendance at Trump's campaign rallies, despite reports of empty seats and interruptions. Her delivery was described as awkward, with one instance of emphasizing the wrong word when discussing relations with Venezuela.
When asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy about intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Zacharia froze and responded, "I will have to get back to you on that." She also announced that Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign amid an alleged bribery scandal.
A personal question about managing her family life while in the demanding role was posed by the Daily Mail. Zacharia responded by giving a shout-out to her husband and stating that not spending evenings with her children was "completely unacceptable." She also praised Trump for trusting her with the demanding job despite knowing she had four children.
Trump later stated he thought Zacharia was "very good." However, the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project tweeted an image comparing her to Liz Truss, who had a short tenure as British prime minister, and Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Trump's communications director for 11 days, also commented on her tenure.