- Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill
Katie Zacharia defended her first White House press briefing performance but admitted that she was underprepared and 'should have stepped aside' rather than take questions.
asserted
she → sign → questions
The new White House Press Secretary received brutal reviews for her first engagement with the DC press.
asserted
Secretary → receive → press
Speaking to Fox News Thursday night, Zacharia tried to explain that it had been a whirlwind week for her - only having first interviewed for the job a week ago Wednesday - and she had been on the job just one day.
asserted
she → speak → job
'I had been on the job for one day and instead of taking questions, probably should've stepped aside,' she told Sean Hannity, while adding she feels 'I did my very best to deliver for the American people.'
asserted
I → take → people
She said the right thing to do might have been to just give 'a brief intro' to the press corps and noted she had only been on the job 'for eight hours.
uncertain
she → say → hours
'
Zacharia did not throw her staff under the bus for the press conference.
asserted
Zacharia → throw → conference
'I believe, given I'd been on the job for 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.
asserted
I → believe → people
She did promise to be more prepared going forward when asked if she would do anything differently.
asserted
she → promise → anything
Katie Zacharia defended her first White House press briefing performance but admitted that she was underprepared and 'should have stepped aside' rather than take questions
The new White House Press Secretary received brutal reviews for her first engagement with the DC press
'
asserted
Secretary → defend → press
What I would say is I would absolutely be very well prepared on the briefing, Sean, and I would love and I do love questions and I would love to build a relationship with all those members of the press corps so there is a substantive component to us having an ability to interact, and I will be very prepared, Sean, and I will step up to the duty that President Trump has asked me to do as press secretary.
asserted
Trump → say → secretary
'
Zacharia did note that she was able to break some news in announcing the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle, stating she was 'one of the first press secretaries to deliver staff changes.'
She also continued to defend calling herself a 'lawyer' after admitting she'd never passed the bar exam after failing it on her first try.
asserted
she → note → try
'For background, I graduated Pepperdine, got married in the same week, we had all intent to move out to China,' she explained, giving the backstory on why she failed.
asserted
she → graduate → backstory
'I had already pre-registered for the bar exam, basically during the summer I had learned I was moving to China so the results would be inconsequential.
asserted
results → pre → China
She confirmed she did not take the exam a second time.
asserted
she → confirm → exam
It was a bumpy start for Zacharia, 42, who stumbled over words and kept the usually hour-long briefing to just 15 minutes – although our Elina Shirazi was able to sneak in one question that confirmed the fate of doomed Greek ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle.
asserted
that → stumble → Guilfoyle
Among those delivering their verdict on Zacharia's performance was former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who was infamously canned by the commander-in-chief after just 11 days on the job.
asserted
who → deliver → job
Speaking to Fox News Thursday night, Zacharia tried to explain that it had been a whirlwind week for her - only having first interviewed from the job a week ago Wednesday - and she had been on the job just one day
Officially, the White House press shop is calling the performance 'commanding.
asserted
shop → speak → performance
'
'Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team,' White House spokesperson Steven Cheung told the Daily Mail when reached for comment.
asserted
Cheung → tell → comment
'She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary.'
asserted
she → help → Secretary
Trump himself, asked by reporters later in the day, offered a six-word verdict: 'I thought she was very good.'
asserted
she → ask → verdict
By early Tuesday afternoon, Zacharia was aboard Air Force One, bound for Alaska on her first official trip with the president.
asserted
Zacharia → bind → president
Trump plucked her off television after months of watching her defend him on Fox News and Newsmax, making the offer himself in an out-of-the-blue phone call.
Three days later, her hiring was announced on Truth Social without running it past Wiles.
asserted
hiring → pluck → Wiles
Zacharia started in politics as a college intern for the Republican National Committee.
asserted
Zacharia → start → Committee
She earned her undergraduate degree at Pepperdine’s Seaver College before going on to its Caruso School of Law, then launched a career in corporate and political advocacy.
asserted
She → earn → advocacy
Her experience also includes working in the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration and spending three years in China working as an outside counsel for the World Bank.
asserted
experience → include → Bank
Her husband Tyler served as a producer on movies like The Irishman, Countdown, The Starling, The Desperate Hour and Homestead, among others.
asserted
husband → serve → others
While Zacharia often flaunts her glamorous endeavors on her Instagram, where she has racked up more than 42,000 followers, she is fiercely private when it comes to her family life and has kept her kids completely off social media.
asserted
it → flaunt → media
In addition, she has been outspoken about the backlash she has faced in the past for supporting Trump.
asserted
she → face → Trump
'Being in the world of politics, whether directly or adjacent, is BRUTAL and I personally take DAILY heat for it,' Zacharia wrote in an Instagram post in September.
asserted
Zacharia → take → September
She went on to explain that she tries to 'keep her family away from the flame,' but gushed over how 'proud' she was of her husband's work.
asserted
she → go → work
The Aporia
