Donald Trump's spokesperson, Katie Zacharia, fired after less than a week

Katie Zacharia was fired Friday from her position as President Donald Trump’s spokesperson, less than a week after taking the job, according to three people familiar with the situation, cited by The New York Times. A senior White House official, however, told Fox News that Zacharia “is stepping down.”

Neither the White House nor Katie Zacharia commented on the reports. Trump had previously told reporters that he suggested his spokesperson think again about whether she wanted to take the job, saying that, in her place, he would not accept the position.

The president said Zacharia had been treated “very harshly” by the press and also criticized the performance of Fox News host Sean Hannity during her appearance Thursday evening. Trump said the decision on whether to remain in the position belonged to her.

Zacharia held her first and last press briefing in this capacity on Tuesday. Subsequently, the American media questioned her legal qualifications after reporting that she had not passed the bar exam required to practice law in the United States. Trump had presented her as a lawyer, and she acknowledged Thursday on Fox News that she had failed the exam.