Enter the Zachbot: Trump’s new press secretary malfunctions on podium debut
Katie Zacharia’s maiden briefing was excruciating – at least her predecessor had delivered her propaganda hot Well, that was weird. Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, made her debut on the podium on Tuesday with all the warmth, wisdom and political dexterity of an AI avatar. Zacharia was all stilted delivery, nervous tics and lack of eye contact. With an eerie lack of emotion, she served up…
Key points
- Katie Zacharia made her debut as White House press secretary on Tuesday.
- She took only three questions and left after 14 minutes.
- She announced that Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle has been asked to resign.
Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, made her debut at the podium on Tuesday. The briefing lasted 14 minutes, during which she took only three questions before leaving.
The article describes her delivery as stilted, with nervous tics and little eye contact. She read from prepared notes about President Trump's accomplishments and took questions only from rightwing outlets Breitbart News, Fox News and the Daily Mail.
Questions and an announcement
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked whether the US had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Zacharia paused briefly and said she would have to get back to him.
The Daily Mail asked about an alleged bribery scandal involving Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece. Zacharia said, "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign," adding that she had been a wonderful asset to the team and wishing her well.
I thought she was very good.
— Donald Trump
Reaction and comparisons
The article compares her debut to that of Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer. It says she echoed Spicer's false claim about inaugural crowd sizes when she said attendance at Trump's rallies is at record highs, noting there have been empty seats and interruptions from protesters.
Trump said soon after, "I thought she was very good." The Lincoln Project tweeted an image of Zacharia beside a lettuce, evoking Liz Truss, who lasted 49 days as British prime minister. Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's communications director for 11 days, tweeted that the clock is running and it is thus far 1/11th of a Scaramucci.
