President Trump indicated on Friday that Katie Zacharia, whom he had appointed as press secretary only days earlier, may not remain in the role. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for a campaign stop in Georgia, Trump said he had been in touch with Zacharia and that the level of media attention surrounding her struck him as disproportionate.

Describing the exchange, Trump said he had told Zacharia she might be better off finding happiness elsewhere, and that he had asked her directly whether she truly needed the position. He said he did not believe the role was right for her, expressed a wish for her to avoid the kind of press scrutiny he described as punishing, and indicated a final decision would follow his return from campaign travel that Friday and weekend, when the two of them would speak.

Zacharia's brief time in the position had drawn ongoing scrutiny over her professional credentials and her performance when fielding questions from reporters. Trump announced the appointment on Oct. 9, and the selection drew notice as an unforeseen choice, placing her in a role previously held by Karoline Leavitt, who had held a longstanding place within Trump's inner circle before becoming the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.

Questions arose around Zacharia after her first briefing drew attention for its unsteady handling, with her remarks leaning toward praise for the president and his record in office. Questions were directed to three journalists whose outlets carried conservative or pro-administration leanings, after which the session concluded in roughly 14 minutes. Zacharia told reporters she had kept her remarks brief so that Trump would have adequate time later that morning for his own exchange with the press, and that White House staff had not fully prepared her in advance.

Zacharia accompanied Trump across rally stops in Alaska, Arizona, and Montana on Wednesday and Thursday without conducting additional press briefings. During a Friday morning television interview, she told the anchor that she hoped to earn the trust of those around her when pressed on whether she held the president's backing, and gave no indication of when her next briefing with reporters would take place.

Questions about whether Zacharia — who holds a law degree from Pepperdine University — had the standing to describe herself as a "lawyer" without bar passage or another recognised credential drew scrutiny from some observers. The term was one she had used to describe herself during appearances on television programmes with a right-leaning editorial outlook. Zacharia defended the terminology as fitting for legal commentary, adding that her background included practising law in China.

On a television appearance Friday, Zacharia told viewers that no one had questioned her bar passage status before she took on the press secretary role. Trump, in remarks that followed, drew a distinction between the position she holds — a communications post — and the practice of law.

Prior to joining the White House, Zacharia had held a communications role at Trump Media, the organisation behind Truth Social, the president's social media platform. A stint at the Department of Homeland Security also appeared on her résumé during the period of Trump's second term in office.