The Conversation (0)
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If you thought Anthony Scaramucci being sacked as US president Donald Trump’s communications director after just 11 days in post was bad, Katie Zacharia is being ridiculed online after serving a brief five days as White House press secretary.
Zacharia sparked controversy for branding herself a lawyer despite failing her bar exam. Her first White House press briefing was branded a “disaster” and a grilling from Fox News host Sean Hannity saw The Bulwark journalist Will Sommer claim it was “the toughest interview I’ve ever seen Sean Hannity give to a Republican”.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday, Trump said Zacharia has been “treated very badly by the media”.
“I just spoke to her about it. I said, ‘Katie, is this for you’, because you know, she’s been treated very rough, and she’s a nice person.
“She was on Sean Hannity last night, and Sean was a little bit tough.
“I said to her, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider’.”
The White House then confirmed Zacharia had been fired just moments after the president left the building for a rally in Georgia.
Sharing a picture of her in the Oval Office with Trump, the ex-press secretary tweeted: “President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.
“It was an honour to work for him.”
However, social media users spotted a blurred out map resting on the Resolute Desk in the snap, prompting some to speculate as to what it might be.
MeidasTouch tweeted: “That blurred map on Trump's desk appears to be East Potomac Park — the golf course where the trees are being cut. Katie Zacharia may have just handed the federal judge evidence of exactly where the order came from”:
“That blurred out map on POTUS’ desk…,” commented AP’s Pentagon reporter Konstantin Toropoin:
And the Save East Po account said: “FYI to anyone paying attention – that blurred out map on the PRESIDENT’S DESK is East Potomac Park”:
If you missed it, the Trump administration’s faced criticism over plans to cut down more than 500 trees at the site, as it looks to renovate the East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course.
Alongside pointing out the blurred map, X/Twitter users also mocked Zacharia’s incredibly short tenure, with political commentator Winter writing: “Girl you worked for him for 5 days”:
Progressive news analyst Alex Cole tweeted: “Katie, at least you have your law career to fall back on. Oh, that's right. Never mind”:
“He embarrassed you and you’re still praising him. That’s sad,” replied commentator Brian Krassenstein:
Jo Carducci, known online as JoJoFromJerz, joked: “You worked for him? That’s like saying I worked at the nail salon because I went in for a pedicure one time”:
“Have some self respect Jesus Christ,” said Evan loves worf :
And another account responded: “You took three questions over 14 minutes. I spend more time/energy putting on my fitted sheet than you did in the WH press briefing room”:
Yikes.
Why not read…?
- Trump’s suggestion to rename another body of water instantly slammed
- Press secretary Katie Zacharia calls herself a lawyer in long supercut
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