Katie Zacharia Delivers Powerful Inaugural Briefing as the 37th White House Press Secretary

NBC News reports that Zacharia held an unusually short first briefing for the media Tuesday, concluding after less than 15 minutes and calling on just three reporters, all from conservative outlets.[3]According to the White House, Zacharia opened by saying she was "so honored to work for President Trump and the American people as the new White House Press Secretary."[4] PBS News reports that roughly half of Zacharia's first news briefing as the White House press secretary was a topper in which she read out President Donald Trump's achievements.[5]The Hill reports that she broke news when she told a reporter the administration asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign from her role as U.S. ambassador to Greece[1].According to CNN, several advisers and officials offered negative reviews of her performance to CNN, with one characterizing it as "brutal."[2] CNN also reports that Trump told reporters, "I thought she was very good."[2]White House communications director Steven Cheung told The Hill that "Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team."[1]NBC News reports that when a reporter asked which state she passed the bar exam in, Zacharia said she "moved to China."[3] CNN says it has found no evidence that she has passed the bar exam in the states where she has lived and worked[2] since she finished law school. Zacharia later said in a statement to NBC News: "I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials."[3]