Leavitt likens Zacharia’s brief White House stint to an Apprentice firing
Karoline Leavitt joked that Katie Zacharia’s departure from the White House press secretary role resembled a firing on Donald Trump’s reality show The Apprentice. Speaking to Bill Maher, Leavitt said the job is exceptionally difficult and expressed sympathy for Zacharia, while agreeing that it “wasn’t a good fit” and wishing her well.
Zacharia’s tenure lasted less than a week after Trump announced her appointment on 9 October and she began on 12 October. Her first briefing, the following day, lasted 14 minutes and included questions from three reporters; Trump praised her performance, but her preparation and experience were questioned. Leavitt, who held the role for the first 18 months of Trump’s second term, also described Trump as a friend who had encouraged her despite concerns about her age.
In short
- Leavitt compared Zacharia’s exit to a firing on The Apprentice.
- Zacharia’s first briefing lasted 14 minutes.
- Leavitt said the press secretary role is exceptionally demanding.
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The case for
Leavitt’s joke could be seen as a light-hearted way to describe an unusually brief and unsuccessful appointment, while her sympathy and good wishes acknowledged the personal difficulty of leaving a demanding role. Saying Zacharia was not a good fit may also be a fair assessment of a press position that requires substantial preparation and experience.
The case against
Comparing a colleague’s departure to a reality-show firing risks making a short and potentially difficult tenure into a public punchline. Even if intended humorously, the remark may seem dismissive of Zacharia, particularly given the scrutiny of her experience and the limited chance she had to establish herself in the role.
Explained simply
The White House press secretary speaks for the US president to journalists, usually in televised briefings, and answers questions about the administration’s actions. The role is high-profile because the press secretary is a main link between the president and the public.
Donald Trump is a former reality television host as well as president; on The Apprentice, contestants were dismissed with the phrase “You’re fired”. Karoline Leavitt served as his press secretary before Katie Zacharia was appointed. The role’s demands and the experience expected of its holder are part of the context around Zacharia’s short time in the job.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Karoline Leavitt cracks Apprentice joke about Trump as Bill Maher puts her on the spot over fired Katie Zacharia”.