Politics

White House press secretary leaves post less than a week after appointment

Katie Zakaria has left her post as White House press secretary, about five days after President Donald Trump appointed her, a senior US official told AFP on Friday. Other outlets, citing presidential advisers, reported that she was dismissed. Her exit followed debate over her professional qualifications and criticism of her performance at her first press briefing.

BBC عربيFriday, October 16, 2026, 23:05Covered by 4 sources

Illustrative photo: Microphone in the foreground facing rows of blurred empty red seats. Photo by Allie Reefer on Unsplash

Why it matters

The White House spokesperson is the administration's daily public voice to the press and the world. A change this fast in the role is closely watched for what it suggests about how the administration handles media communication.

Background

The White House press secretary is the administration's public voice, presenting the president's positions to reporters through regular briefings. The post is filled directly by the president, so early performances at the podium are often seen as an initial test of whether the spokesperson can represent the administration.

Key points

Sky News Arabia reported that the New York Times, AFP and dpa were among the outlets that reported her departure.
CNN Arabic described her time in the post as "turbulent" and said it lasted no more than a week.
According to RT Arabic, Trump's advisers spoke of a "possible" dismissal, linking it to criticism of her media performance.

How outlets covered it

All four outlets agreed that Zakaria left the post within days of her appointment, but they differed on how they described the exit and who they cited. BBC Arabic relied on a senior US official's confirmation to AFP and used only the word "departure", while noting the controversy over her qualifications and criticism of her first briefing. CNN Arabic stated flatly that Trump fired her, attributing this to the president's advisers. Sky News Arabia ran a headline about a dismissal over text describing a departure, and cited the New York Times, AFP and dpa. RT Arabic was the most cautious in its body text, quoting advisers on a "possible" dismissal and focusing on criticism of her media performance. Her time in office was given as either "less than a week" or "five days", depending on the outlet.