Earlier this week, Zacharia boarded Air Force One with Trump for the first time, on a seven-hour flight to Alaska. A source familiar with the matter stated that the president praised her for "doing well" at her debut White House press briefing.

However, her debut lasted only 14 minutes and received largely negative reviews. She also faced numerous questions regarding her self-proclaimed lawyer status over the years, despite never passing the bar exam.

Many of Trump's advisors were astonished by her performance. Some questioned how such an influential senior press secretary position could be given to someone lacking both experience and confidence.

CNN cited an informed source who revealed that one of the US president's advisors bewilderedly asked a colleague, "what on earth is happening there?"

Another White House staffer wondered, "has anyone vetted her background?" According to several White House officials and advisors who spoke to CNN, the answer was no.

The decision to appoint Zacharia stemmed from President Trump's impatience during the midterm election season. He sought an enthusiastic individual to defend the administration's message on television, as the Republican Party faced disadvantages due to inflation, gas prices, and negative public reactions to the Middle East conflict.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia accompanied President Donald Trump on 13/10. Photo: AP

Delayed, then rushed selection

After Karoline Leavitt left her position late last summer to care for her newborn, Trump was not in a hurry to find a replacement. Advisors proposed many candidates, but some were rejected for having previously criticized the US president. As political pressure on the Republican Party mounted, Trump began to complain that no one was defending him to the media.

Zacharia, a familiar face on television defending Trump, unexpectedly became the choice. She reportedly had the support of Natalie Harp, a loyal aide who frequently traveled with the president.

According to a source familiar with the matter, officials arranged a call between Zacharia and Trump on 7/10. She arrived in Washington the following day and was directly offered the job by the president during a conversation in the Oval Office. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was not present and was informed of the decision by assistants afterward.

"I received a fantastic call from the top recruiter, the president himself. It turns out, strongly supporting his policies actually pays off," Zacharia said in an interview with Fox News on the evening of 9/10.

Some of Trump's long-time advisors viewed this interview as a sign of trouble, as appearing on television simultaneously with the president speaking at an event was often considered inappropriate for subordinates.

Five tumultuous days

After many flights between Washington and California, Zacharia woke at 3 h on 13/10 to prepare for her first press briefing. Her materials were only finalized about 90 minutes before she entered the briefing room.

A senior official expressed disappointment as Zacharia's opening remarks were hesitant, despite largely reading from a script praising the president's achievements. During the question-and-answer session, she also did not know whether the US had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, a question a White House press secretary could anticipate.

Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia during her first press conference on 13/10. Photo: AP

She announced that Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign as the US ambassador to Greece. Zacharia considered this a success in the briefing, stating that she was among the few press secretaries to announce personnel changes in the administration. However, this was almost the only notable information she provided during her tenure.

Other signs of inexperience emerged during the Alaska visit. Zacharia proposed arranging an interview for Trump with a Fox News reporter after a two-hour rally, even though the White House team knew he disliked participating in activities after events. The US president himself was annoyed when informed of the plan and initially refused, before eventually changing his mind and agreeing to the interview.

When Trump asked senior aides for their opinions on Zacharia, she had few defenders. Some had praised her directly, but secretly shared among themselves that she was not performing well. The president later remarked that Zacharia was perhaps "not ready for the big stage."

Controversy over Zacharia's lawyer credentials further worsened the situation. She had claimed to be a lawyer despite not being able to provide a license to practice. When the Wall Street Journal reported that she failed the California bar exam in 2011, Zacharia admitted she had never passed the exam, but argued that it was unimportant.

After a series of Zacharia's interviews on Fox News, particularly a heated exchange with host Sean Hannity on the evening of 15/10 regarding her lawyer status, Trump decided the new White House press secretary should step down. On 16/10, the president informed Zacharia of his decision, though just hours earlier she had commented to the media that she still had President Trump's trust.

A White House source stated that the president still held personal affection for Zacharia, but not professionally. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung affirmed that Zacharia would continue to support the president in a new role.

Thanh Danh (According to CNN)