'Trump will be embarrassed': Is it already over for Katie Zacharia?

[0:00] Which brings us to Katie Zakaria. [0:04] Zakaria, I'm sorry, Zakaria. [0:06] I'm not sure that we're going to need to spend very much time remembering her name, [0:09] because I've got a feeling she may not be longed for this world. [0:12] However, yes, so Katie Zakaria is the new White House Press Secretary, [0:17] at least she's still the White House Press Secretary. [0:19] After a quite extraordinary debut yesterday, [0:23] she made the decision, I think foolishly, [0:27] to conduct her first White House Press Briefing, [0:29] just a matter of 96 hours after President Trump unveiled her. [0:33] She clearly hadn't been briefed, prepared in any way for all of this. [0:36] So what? [0:37] And as she proved yesterday, the moment she started moving her lips, [0:42] she's not up to the job. [0:43] Good morning. [0:45] Good morning. [0:46] I am so honoured to work for President Trump and the American people [0:53] as the new White House Press Secretary. [0:57] I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. [1:05] I have wanted to work for him for a very long time. [1:09] So she's got a dream job, [1:11] a coveted position on the public taxpayer-funded payroll. [1:16] What was she going to do with it? [1:18] Well, in the first moments of that press briefing, [1:21] which lasted fully 13 minutes before she threw in the towel, [1:25] she broke the law. [1:26] She breached the Hatch Act, which is American law that bans federal government employees [1:32] from openly acting as mouthpieces for political campaigns. [1:37] Her predecessor, Caroline Levitt, was very careful, [1:41] I would argue more careful about observing the Hatch Act [1:45] than some of the people who stood behind the podium during Joe Biden's presidency. [1:49] But listen to what Zakaria said yesterday, [1:53] clearly acting as a political operative from behind that podium. [1:57] President Trump delivered another blockbuster rally [2:01] from his stops in Tennessee, New York, Texas and Nebraska. [2:07] He is an energetic president. [2:10] Attendance is at record highs as enthusiastic, [2:13] hard-working Americans are lining up and packing arenas [2:18] to support President Trump and Republicans. [2:21] And Republicans. [2:23] Even though Trump's name's not on the ballot, [2:24] the White House, of course, has argued he is on the ballot, [2:26] but the minute she started talking about President Trump [2:29] and the Republicans, [2:31] there will be an argument that that is a breach of the Hatch Act. [2:34] She took three questions, [2:36] all of them from reliable pro-Trump organisations, [2:38] Breitbart News, the Daily Mail and Fox News. [2:42] But do you put the mail on that list? [2:43] Well, I think that, yes. [2:46] I mean, I mean, yeah. [2:49] Fair enough. [2:49] I think that she knew that she wasn't going to get much of a bouncer from the mail, [2:52] although they did ask her about the ambassador to Greece. [2:55] Well, we'll come to that. [2:56] We'll come to that in a minute. [2:57] They do employ a columnist who repeatedly reveals [3:00] that he wishes Donald Trump was governing this country. [3:02] So there you go. [3:03] So I think that's probably fair. [3:04] So, and then Pete Doocy, [3:06] who's the White House correspondent for Fox News, [3:08] is he's the one who was confident enough [3:10] to try and ask her a bit of a bouncer. [3:12] I want to ask you a policy question. [3:14] Has the U.S. stopped sharing intel with Ukraine? [3:18] I'll have to get back to you on that. [3:20] And then the mask later in this appearance completely slipped. [3:25] The idea of not spending evenings with my kids [3:28] is completely unacceptable. [3:31] So my president, excuse me, my husband, [3:34] that's a good one. [3:36] My husband is out here. [3:38] Now, she may well have an opportunity [3:40] to spend more time with her family pretty soon [3:42] because it was a disastrous 13 minutes behind that podium. [3:46] And let me just underscore where she comes from ideologically. [3:49] This woman is a QAnon, make America great again, [3:54] dyed-in-the-wool conspiracy theorist. [3:56] She was most recently the kind of the gatekeeper for Rick Grinnell, [4:01] the former U.S. ambassador to Germany, [4:03] the former acting director of national intelligence, [4:07] the man who's been presiding over the complete cataclysm [4:10] at the Kennedy Center on Donald Trump's watch. [4:13] She has, on social media, amplified views and expressed views [4:19] that say Democratic Party leaders are paedophiles. [4:22] Members of the Hollywood elite, they're even worse. [4:25] They're paedophile cannibals. [4:27] Michelle Obama is really a man. [4:29] She's done that one, has she? [4:31] She's amplified that one. [4:33] Transgender assailants are responsible [4:35] for America's ongoing mass gun violence. [4:38] She's claimed that eight out of ten women had a miscarriage [4:41] after taking the COVID vaccine. [4:43] Eight out of ten. [4:43] Eight out of ten, obviously completely untrue. [4:46] And that America's most used abortion pill [4:48] contains the same chemicals that were used [4:51] in the Nazi gas chambers. [4:53] It does not. [4:54] I also see that she has recently sat on the board [4:58] of an organisation that believes that women who have abortions [5:01] should be executed publicly in the United States. [5:05] This woman is now receiving American taxpayer dollars [5:10] as her salary to take the position of White House press secretary [5:14] of the 37 that we've had. [5:16] She is far and away the least qualified [5:19] and absolutely the least intellectually qualified [5:22] to do this particular job. [5:24] And I've got a feeling we're probably not going to see a lot more of her. [5:27] Because Trump will be embarrassed by association, [5:29] which means he has to disappear. [5:31] And also the appointment was made, we now know, [5:33] without any consultation with his chief of staff, Susie Wiles. [5:37] This was another one of these things that happens [5:39] when she's away, he makes decisions, announces them. [5:42] I mean, this is a, this is, I knew this was going to go wrong [5:45] long before, I mean, as soon as he made the announcement. [5:49] I've had, I've had one set of dealings [5:52] with Katie Zakaria in the past. [5:54] You know exactly where she's coming from ideologically. [6:00] And, you know, you could have seen from space [6:04] that this was going to be a catastrophe yesterday. [6:06] And indeed it was. [6:07] Speaking of which, presumably she would also have been agitating [6:10] for the full release of the Epstein files at one point. [6:14] Oh yeah, yeah, for sure. [6:14] You mentioned one ambassador. [6:18] We should probably talk about another, [6:19] the former ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, [6:22] who stands accused of all manner of financial impropriety, [6:27] allegations that she furiously denies. [6:29] Donald Trump, you know, we give him quite a hard time. [6:31] I thought he was very touching, [6:33] the way he talked about her back in March. [6:35] The U.S. ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, [6:40] a person I know very, very well. [6:42] She's an inspiration to a lot of people, [6:45] especially if you happen to be Greek. [6:48] Kimberly, Kimberly Guilfoyle. [6:51] Kimberly. [6:51] Now, Kimberly Guilfoyle has been my friend for a long time. [6:55] I love calling her Kimberly. [6:57] That's my little pet name, right? [6:59] But you are the greatest. [7:00] And I heard they love you over there. [7:02] I hope you come back here in 12 years [7:05] or whatever the term is. [7:07] Come on up here, Kim. [7:11] Stay alongside of us. [7:12] Oh, that's sweet. [7:13] Nice, isn't it? [7:14] She's a former fiancé of one of his... [7:16] Yes. [7:16] Donald Trump Jr. [7:17] One of the Fredo's. [7:18] Fiancé. [7:19] Yeah, that's nice. [7:19] Former husband, by the way, [7:21] former wife, by the way, [7:22] of California Governor Gavin Newsom, [7:24] a Democrat. [7:24] She's right in the room where it happens. [7:26] And he clearly knows her extremely, extremely well. [7:30] I wonder what could possibly happen next. [7:32] Well, thank you for the president of Guilfoyle. [7:35] A member of your family. [7:37] How surprised were you to learn about these allegations? [7:40] What did you think about that? [7:40] No, she wasn't a member of my family. [7:42] She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn't. [7:45] No, she went to Greece. [7:49] She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading. [7:52] Wow. [7:53] That doesn't matter, does it? [7:54] No. [7:55] I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't. [7:56] Once again, we're back to the doesn't, it doesn't. [7:58] I mean, she's a former Fox News presenter. [8:00] Naturally. [8:01] Absolutely now dogged by allegations of financial impropriety. [8:05] The Wall Street Journal, citing text messages, [8:07] said that she asked a Trump donor and supporter [8:09] to pay a $100,000 credit card bill [8:11] just before her confirmation hearing, [8:14] promising him access to administration officials. [8:18] At one point, there was talk of her being paid [8:20] by this individual a million dollars [8:24] if she could get him onto Tucker Carlson's podcast. [8:28] She was unable to do that. [8:30] There are written text messages [8:32] in which she is urging him [8:35] to move their communications to an encrypted app [8:38] because she worries that his loose lips [8:41] and the paper trail that he's leaving in their communications [8:44] are going to cause her problems. [8:47] She'd been traveling all over the place in a private jet. [8:49] She had been taking a private Greek businessman [8:51] to all manner of meetings. [8:54] The staff at the embassy, [8:55] the people in the business meetings, [8:57] thought he was embassy staff. [8:59] They thought that he was her chief of staff [9:01] because they were so joined at the hip. [9:03] Anyway, they finally bailed on her. [9:05] One person who comes out looking a little damaged by this [9:08] is Marco Rubio. [9:09] Because remember, he was in Greece last week [9:11] making that big speech [9:13] that was going to launch his presidential aspirations. [9:16] All got upended by this Wall Street Journal reporting [9:20] about Ambassador Guilfoyle [9:22] and then he blew up at the press [9:23] when they started asking him questions about it. [9:25] So he's got some issues with that. [9:26] This is what happens when they leave the compound, [9:28] isn't it? [9:28] When they find themselves overseas [9:30] or even getting off Air Force One [9:31] is that they just have to actually face some questions [9:34] from members of the media who aren't there [9:36] just to sort of tickle their toes. [9:38] Good Lord. [9:39] I mean, again, it's worth... [9:41] I haven't heard the phrase [9:42] Trump derangement syndrome for a while, Simon. [9:44] Have you? [9:44] I'm sure I have, actually. [9:46] I mean, I still get occasional people accusing me of it. [9:49] I'm getting Eleanor derangement syndrome. [9:51] I'm five minutes late for the news. [9:53] What was it she said? [9:54] With something in excitement, [9:56] with energy in excitement. [9:57] Was that her reading the autocue? [9:58] I think it was, wasn't it? [10:01] Look, I think so, Sheila. [10:02] I mean, I think it's fair to say [10:04] there has been a long storied Chequers history [10:06] of White House press secretaries [10:08] and Donald Trump going all the way back. [10:11] I think listeners and viewers will remember [10:12] to those early days back in 2017, [10:15] January 2017, with Sean Spicer [10:17] telling the whole world that Black was white [10:19] and White was black [10:20] and crowd size was far bigger [10:22] than we could see with our own eyes. [10:24] And I think with Ms. Zachariah, [10:26] this is the latest iteration of this. [10:30] And in some ways, she is unfortunate [10:32] because, of course, she followed Caroline Levitt. [10:36] And Caroline Levitt, [10:38] for all of her many demerits and faults, [10:40] she was, without doubt, [10:41] one of the most effective propagandists [10:43] that the Western world has ever seen. [10:45] She was willing, with complete fluency [10:47] and complete claircogency [10:49] and keep complete vitriol [10:50] and sometimes with complete venom [10:53] to go out every day [10:55] and go toe-to-toe into the boxing ring [10:57] is how she saw it [10:59] with the White House press corps [11:00] and say exactly what Donald Trump [11:03] wanted them to say [11:03] and did so with, in her own way, aplomb. [11:06] And I think Ms. Zachariah yesterday [11:07] showed that, in her own indomitable way, [11:10] Ms. Levitt was quite a tough act to follow. [11:13] Yeah. [11:14] I mean, she... [11:15] I'm talking about Levitt now here [11:19] when I talk about this. [11:20] She was clearly intelligent. [11:22] This girl, it might have been... [11:24] Well, woman... [11:24] It might have been first-day nerves, [11:26] but you get the feeling it wasn't. [11:28] You get the feeling that what you had here [11:29] was a Donald Trump superfan [11:32] and that was her main qualification. [11:36] Well, indeed, Sheila. [11:37] And this is what I mean. [11:38] And you can see the slow progression here [11:40] of this role. [11:41] Look, for British listeners and viewers, [11:44] you know, we don't have an equivalent [11:45] in this country [11:45] of the White House press secretary. [11:46] But, of course, in the United States politics, [11:49] it's a very well-established institution [11:51] going back in terms of public record [11:53] or public briefings [11:55] going all the way back [11:56] to the Eisenhower administration. [11:58] They are the second most well-known face [12:02] of any particular administration [12:03] at any given time, [12:04] second only to the president themselves. [12:06] Typically, historically, [12:08] they were campaign professionals, [12:09] communication professionals, [12:10] someone who had worked [12:11] with the president's incumbent party, [12:13] sometimes the incumbent president [12:15] for a long time. [12:16] You know that when they spoke, [12:18] they could speak with authority [12:19] on behalf of the president. [12:22] And under Donald Trump, [12:23] that has changed. [12:24] And they've become... [12:26] It would have been unthinkable, [12:27] I think, [12:27] under any previous administration [12:28] to have someone like Ms. Zachariah [12:30] in that role. [12:31] Because what we're talking about, [12:32] in some ways, [12:32] Trump has done a huge disservice, Sheila, [12:34] because he's elevated her. [12:36] She's not a campaign professional. [12:37] She's not a party operative. [12:39] She's not a communications professional. [12:41] She's someone with an apparently [12:43] non-existent law degree, [12:44] to be confirmed, [12:45] whose basic contribution [12:47] or basic qualification for the job [12:48] was that she recycled [12:50] Trump talking points [12:51] on Fox News. [12:53] And in Trump's own way, [12:54] I suppose we have to be realistic, [12:56] looked the part [12:56] while she was doing it. [12:58] And I think that was exposed yesterday [13:00] when, I mean, [13:01] she only took three questions, [13:02] of course, [13:03] all of which from conservative, [13:05] you know, [13:05] generally speaking, [13:06] pro-Trump outlets. [13:07] And there was only one serious one, [13:08] which didn't involve her day [13:09] or how she intended [13:10] to marry her [13:12] new responsibilities [13:14] with looking after [13:14] her kids' birthday parties. [13:16] It was a story [13:17] which has been [13:18] on the top of the... [13:20] every newspaper [13:21] and top of the headlines [13:22] in Washington [13:22] over the course [13:23] of the past few days, [13:24] which is, [13:25] have the Americans [13:26] stopped sharing intelligence [13:27] with the Ukrainians? [13:28] Obviously, [13:29] a key, key question [13:30] and one of genuinely [13:31] international [13:32] geostrategic significance. [13:34] Absolutely. [13:34] And Ms. Zachariah said, [13:35] well, [13:35] I'll have to get back to you, [13:37] which probably tells you [13:38] something in terms of, [13:39] you know, [13:39] the most predictable question possible [13:41] with only three questions given. [13:43] And I think, [13:43] you know, [13:43] she's not going to be able [13:44] to keep doing that [13:44] and retain any credibility [13:45] in the weeks ahead. [13:47] And the, [13:48] the sort of, [13:49] the race is on now [13:50] to see whether she lasts [13:51] longer than Scaramucci. [13:55] Well, [13:56] I think, [13:56] hasn't Scaramucci said [13:57] that she's currently [13:57] on one eleventh [13:58] of a full Scaramucci? [14:02] But I think, [14:02] but Sheila, [14:03] this is what I mean. [14:03] Like, [14:03] look, [14:04] this is what you're going to, [14:05] I actually think [14:06] she might well last [14:07] much longer than you think. [14:08] Because of course, [14:08] look, [14:09] you can figure first day nerves [14:10] and let's, [14:10] let's be a bit more, [14:11] let's be trying to be [14:12] charitable. [14:12] I actually warned to her [14:13] the way she handled [14:14] calling her husband [14:14] the president. [14:16] Yeah. [14:16] Oh, [14:16] I don't think. [14:17] That was quite funny. [14:18] That's easily done. [14:19] That was, [14:19] I agree. [14:20] It was, [14:20] it was quite charming [14:21] in its own way. [14:22] You know, [14:22] you can, [14:23] you can sort of [14:23] see how it happens. [14:24] Big, [14:24] it's a, [14:25] you know, [14:25] it must be a big moment [14:26] for her. [14:26] And I believe her [14:27] when she says [14:27] that she genuinely [14:28] feels like honor [14:29] and a privilege [14:30] to be serving a president [14:31] that she clearly adores. [14:32] You know, [14:33] lots of people [14:33] will find that [14:34] mysterious because it's Trump, [14:35] but you know, [14:35] he does inspire [14:37] in every sense [14:38] a lot of people. [14:39] So I think that's fine. [14:40] But I think [14:41] what's more revealing [14:42] is how much [14:43] of the briefing [14:43] was devoted [14:45] to praising Donald Trump. [14:47] How little, [14:49] as would once [14:49] have been the case, [14:50] would have been [14:51] about what his government [14:52] is doing. [14:53] She told us [14:53] she could tell us [14:54] about his rally crowds. [14:56] She couldn't tell us [14:57] on whether she was, [14:58] America was sharing [14:59] intelligence with Ukraine. [15:01] She had to go away [15:01] and check that. [15:02] That is a very consequential [15:03] gap, right? [15:04] The truth is [15:05] this has always been [15:06] the case under the Trump [15:07] and it's got worse [15:08] and worse under the Trump, [15:09] different Trump administrations. [15:10] The White House [15:11] press secretary [15:12] historically [15:12] had to speak [15:13] for the president. [15:15] Under Trump, [15:16] White House press secretaries [15:17] speak, [15:18] are more comfortable [15:19] speaking to the president. [15:20] That's their job. [15:22] They have a constituency of one. [15:23] It's not the press. [15:24] It's not the country. [15:25] It's always been a funny job [15:26] because, you know, [15:27] you kind of have to do [15:28] all three. [15:28] Historically, [15:29] you've got to speak [15:29] to the press honestly [15:30] but still give the administration's [15:32] obvious point of view [15:33] and spin [15:33] and represent the president. [15:35] You've got to kind of like [15:36] square that circle [15:37] while we're training [15:37] trust on all sides. [15:39] Under the Trump administration, [15:40] it's been about [15:41] a constituency [15:41] and an audience of one [15:43] which is how much [15:44] you prostrate yourself [15:45] every day [15:46] saying things [15:47] that aren't true [15:47] just to make [15:48] the realities [15:49] inside the president's head, [15:51] the unrealities [15:51] inside the president's head [15:52] for a small, [15:54] brief, [15:54] glistening moment, [15:55] real, [15:56] at least to him. [15:56] Thank you.