Katie Zacharia responds to brutal firing

[0:00] After just five days in the job as Donald Trump's press secretary, Katie Zachariah, is gone, [0:06] White House officials tell News24 that she was being transitioned out. [0:10] But now, as the president hunts for a new spokesperson, she holds an unwanted record. [0:16] Ms Zachariah has responded on Instagram saying, [0:18] President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic and the most hardworking man. [0:25] I wish more Americans appreciated him. [0:27] No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. [0:32] It was an honor to work for him. [0:34] Washington correspondent Jonathan Kersey reports. [0:37] Katie Zachariah started her fifth day in the job with a desire to hang on. [0:43] I'm not taking any questions, but I want to let you know I'm looking forward to working with all of you so much. [0:48] Please get my number, reach out to me, call me, text me, email me. [0:52] I would love to work with all of you. [0:54] And I'm so excited to be working with President Trump and on behalf of the American people. [0:59] So thank you very much. [1:01] And I take any help with you. [1:02] But now she holds an unwanted record as the shortest serving press secretary to the president of the United States in America's history. [1:11] I said to her, honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. [1:15] You think about it. [1:16] But I would reconsider. [1:18] She's got a beautiful husband and family. [1:19] I met the family yesterday. [1:21] Beautiful kids. [1:22] It's like from a picture postcard. [1:24] And I said, you should reconsider because you don't want to go through this. [1:27] What do you want her to do? [1:29] I just want her to be happy. [1:31] This may have been the final nail in the coffin. [1:36] Given the fact that I'd been on the job less than maybe eight hours and had a briefing book in the morning, I feel like I did my very best, Sean, to deliver for the American people that day. [1:48] Am I hearing that you think the staff should have prepped you better? [1:52] Well, I believe that in that time, I could have just given a brief intro and said, I'm only here to introduce myself. [2:00] The president offered her a way out. [2:02] She was on Sean Hannity last night. [2:05] And Sean was a little bit tough. [2:08] And she did. [2:09] I saw Fox and Friends this morning. [2:11] They were a little tough. [2:12] She's been treated, I would say, pretty nastily. [2:17] And I said to Katie, just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want. [2:23] She said, this is a lot tougher. [2:26] I said, welcome to the world of Trump. [2:28] White House officials told News 24 Katie Zachariah was being transitioned out just four days after this. [2:36] Good morning. [2:37] A 14-minute press briefing that started with a nervously delivered monologue. [2:42] I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. [2:49] I have wanted to work for him for a very long time. [2:53] There were questions from just three reporters. [2:56] The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable. [3:02] So my president, excuse me, my husband, that's a good one. [3:06] And then for the woman who had touted herself as an attorney prior to being the voice for the president, came scrutiny. [3:14] Where did she pass the bar exam? [3:16] Which date? [3:17] Which date? [3:17] That sparked fresh questions. [3:23] Now you did go to Pepperdine. [3:24] Pepperdine is a good school, no doubt about it. [3:28] You took the bar exam, but you didn't pass the bar exam, correct? [3:33] Yes, Sean. [3:34] Did you ever take the bar exam a second time? [3:36] I did not, Sean. [3:37] Or a third time? [3:38] No. [3:38] You did not? [3:39] Okay. [3:39] Katie Zachariah had repeatedly described herself as an attorney. [3:44] Is this legal? [3:46] Well, Gavin Newsom has not cared about what's legal. [3:50] I practiced corporate law in Beijing, China. [3:53] I lived in Beijing. [3:54] I was a corporate lawyer in Beijing, China for three years. [3:57] Do you wish you would have disclosed to the president about the bar and not passing the bar? [4:03] Yeah, well, Lawrence, those questions weren't asked. [4:07] I'm being hired as White House press secretary and not White House counsel. [4:11] The conversations and the reason I was, the reason that I was hired was to represent the president in the press. [4:18] But he has suffered over the last few days. [4:22] And I'm not saying, you know, I mean, maybe it's not for her. [4:26] Anthony Scaramucci held a different role as director of communications under President Trump 1.0. [4:32] He lasted just 11 days. [4:35] Offering his thoughts, [4:36] Many in President Trump's orbit say he is his most effective communicator. [4:55] But the role of press secretary is critical. [4:57] So the question now is what happens from here and if they fill the large hole originally left by the departure of Caroline Levitt, then who will it be? [5:10] Caroline did a very good job. [5:12] It's once again a case of position vacant, apply within at the West Wing. [5:18] Jonathan Kersley, News 24, Washington, D.C.