Well, that was quick. President Donald Trump has fired White House press secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days on the job. She barely had time to get comfortable behind the briefing room podium before her White House career came to an abrupt end. And incredibly, she managed to make Anthony Scaramucci’s famously short tenure look respectable.

According to The New York Times, Zacharia was dismissed on Friday, October 16, following a disastrous first week that included a widely criticised press briefing and growing questions about her legal credentials.

Reuters also confirmed her dismissal, citing a White House official. Earlier on Friday, Trump had publicly suggested that Zacharia reconsider whether she wanted the position. Hours later, she was out.

Five Days, One Briefing and a Whole Lot of Questions

Zacharia’s troubles began almost immediately. During her first White House briefing on Tuesday, she spoke for approximately 14 minutes and answered questions from just three outlets: Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail. Then came the questions about her qualifications.

Trump had introduced Zacharia as an attorney, but she subsequently acknowledged that she had failed the California bar examination in 2011 and never passed it.

Despite graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school, Zacharia maintained that she could describe herself as a lawyer while distinguishing that title from being a licensed attorney. Even Fox News host Sean Hannity challenged her explanation during an uncomfortable interview on Thursday.

And I have questions. How does someone land one of the most visible communications jobs in the American government without these issues being thoroughly examined beforehand? Surely verifying someone’s professional credentials should come before announcing them as an attorney to the entire country.

Not Even Half a Scaramucci

Naturally, the internet immediately began measuring Zacharia’s tenure against Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s former White House communications director, who lasted roughly 10 days in 2017.

By that comparison, Zacharia didn’t even make it through half a Scaramucci. Perhaps we need a new unit of political time. A fortnight is 14 days, a Scaramucci is approximately 10, and a Zacharia is five.

I can already imagine Saturday Night Live preparing an entire sketch about her first briefing, only for the opening credits to roll before anyone gets to deliver a punchline.

But beyond the comedy, there is something worth examining about how quickly the administration abandoned its latest appointment. Trump personally selected Zacharia, praised her initial performance and then suggested she reconsider the job within days.

And it raises another question: why do some officials face almost immediate consequences for embarrassing performances while others remain in powerful positions despite repeated controversies?

Five days. One disastrous briefing. A dispute over legal credentials. And another White House departure. At this rate, the next press secretary might want to keep their belongings in a cardboard box.

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