“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.”
Within minutes of President Trump telling reporters that he had effectively encouraged Katie Zacharia, his new press secretary, to step down amid widespread ridicule over her job performance after only five days on the job, The New York Times reported that Zacharia had already been fired.
The unceremonious ouster sets a new record for the Trump administration, besting Anthony Scaramucci’s fleeting, 10-day tenure as press secretary during Trump’s first White House. It follows Zacharia’s brutal first-day performance at the podium on Monday, which was followed by an equally disastrous appearance on Sean Hannity’s show. All against mounting questions about her claims of being a lawyer despite having never passed the bar.
So how did she manage to even get the job in the first place? As I wrote earlier today:
In hopes of replacing Karoline Leavitt, [Zacharia] reportedly cross-referenced the president’s public schedule to book her TV spots, just to make sure that Trump would be watching. Clearly, it worked: On October 9, after weeks of these logistical gymnastics, Trump named Zacharia to the post.
The firing once again demonstrates a singular truth: Aesthetics may be an entry point to power. But against the backdrop of a wider misogyny, they only leave a trail of crusty lashes and hair extensions. In other words, Mar-a-Lago face will never save you.
Mother Jones is a nonprofit American progressive magazine that focuses on news, commentary, and investigative journalism on topics including politics, environment, human rights, health, healthcare and culture. Clara Jeffery serves as editor-in-chief of the magazine. Monika Bauerlein has been the CEO since 2015.
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