President Donald Trump initially wanted former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo to serve as his White House press secretary before selecting Katie Zacharia, whose tenure ended Friday after just five days on the job, according to a new report.
The revelation comes as the administration faces another shake-up in its communications operation following Zacharia’s unexpected departure on October 16.
According to Axios, which cited two administration sources, Trump had expressed interest in appointing Bartiromo to the high-profile position before ultimately choosing Zacharia.
However, Bartiromo reportedly indicated that she would not accept the job, forcing the president to consider other candidates.
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings was also under consideration but never received a formal offer, according to the report.
Trump eventually selected Zacharia, announcing her appointment October 9 before she officially began working at the White House on October 12.
Her appointment reportedly came after significant encouragement from Natalie Harp, the president’s longtime personal assistant.
Axios reported that Zacharia traveled to Washington and met privately with Trump before receiving the offer directly from the president.
The decision was ultimately Trump’s, with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly raising no objections after being informed of the selection.
However, the administration’s new spokesperson quickly encountered difficulties.
Zacharia delivered her first official White House press briefing Tuesday, October 13, an appearance that drew criticism over her visibly nervous presentation.
The briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, with a White House official subsequently telling Axios that Trump was unimpressed by her performance.
Additional controversy emerged when questions surfaced about Zacharia’s legal credentials.
Trump had described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment, but subsequent reporting revealed that she was not licensed to practice law in any state.
Zacharia acknowledged during a Fox News interview that she failed the California bar examination and never attempted it again because she was preparing to move to China.
The revelation reportedly surprised Trump.
A White House official told Axios that the president was “blindsided” upon discovering that Zacharia did not possess the professional credentials he had publicly attributed to her.
Her subsequent efforts to address the controversy through media interviews reportedly did little to ease the president’s concerns.
By Friday, Trump was openly discussing whether Zacharia should reconsider remaining in the position.
“The news has been so nasty to her. I’ve never seen anything like it actually,” Trump told reporters.
The president said he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider the demands of the job.
“I said to her, ‘honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider,’” he explained.
Hours later, two senior Trump administration officials confirmed to Axios that Zacharia had been ousted.
Her five-day tenure makes her the shortest-serving White House press secretary in modern history.
Despite the abrupt departure, administration officials maintained that Trump continued to regard Zacharia favorably.
“POTUS is a big fan of Katie’s, and what POTUS said to the reporters is exactly what he said in private,” a senior White House official said.
Zacharia also issued a statement Friday expressing appreciation for the president and describing her brief White House service as an honor.
The report indicated that Zacharia and her family were scheduled to have dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the revelation that Trump initially preferred Bartiromo has introduced another dimension to the administration’s search for a spokesperson, per Axios.
Bartiromo has spent years covering politics, financial markets and business news, becoming a familiar figure among conservative audiences.
Her reported decision to decline the position meant Trump ultimately turned to Zacharia, whose appointment lasted less than a week.
For now, the White House has not announced a replacement.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy reported Friday that Trump indicated he was in “no rush” to fill the vacancy.
It remains unclear whether Bartiromo or any previously considered candidates will receive renewed consideration following Zacharia’s departure.
