Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared words of encouragement for her successor, Katie Zacharia, after the latter was fired just five days into her new role.
Katie Zacharia’s Stint
After Leavitt stepped down from her role as President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary earlier this year, the former “Apprentice” star announced her replacement as Katie Zacharia.
Zacharia — who previously claimed to be a lawyer, which was later debunked — was announced as the new Press Secretary on October 9. She made her first and only appearance in front of the press on October 13.
“Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team,” White House spokesman Steven Cheung told CNN in a statement earlier this month. “She is uniquely qualified and whip-smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as press secretary.”
Despite the praise, Zacharia would not return to the podium as she was fired from the role on October 16.
Karoline Leavitt to Katie Zacharia
Leavitt took over the role at the start of Trump’s second term in January 2025. After welcoming her second child with husband Nicholas Riccio in May, Leavitt announced her departure in August, explaining that she wished to spend more time with her family.
“Look, it’s a tough job. It’s a very tough job,” Leavitt said on the Friday, October 23, episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher“. “People say it’s one of the hardest jobs in Washington, [D.C.], and … I give anyone who steps up to that podium credit, because only 37 people in United States history have been the White House press secretary. That pressure in that room is enormous.”
She continued, “I give her credit for standing up there, and as the president said, it wasn’t a good fit and that’s OK. I wish her well, and we’re onto the next.”
Leavitt went on to say that Trump has “a lot of options” for Zacharia’s replacement.
“There’s a lot of qualified people who want it, so we’ll see,” she said, calling it a “fun job.”
Karoline Leavitt’s Message to Katie Zacharia After White House Firing: ‘Onto the Next’