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Certain government positions are always in the headlines. The White House press secretary isn’t usually in that group, but, now and then, the person responsible for representing the president to the news organizations becomes the news. That’s what happened recently with President Donald Trump’s latest press secretary, Katie Zacharia.
There are good ways of breaking records and some not so good ones – and the record Zacharia broke is one of the more embarrassing ones. At just five days on the job, Zacharia had the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary in US history. What exactly is a press secretary, and what does this person do?
An Important Role With Few Real Guidelines
What does the White House press secretary do? John Kirby, who served as the Pentagon press secretary under two US presidents, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, told NPR: “You are expected to be the president’s voice and sometimes the president’s face on issues on a daily basis, which means you have to have access to the president.”
He added, “You have to know what the president’s thinking about, whatever the policy issue is, but you also are accountable to the American people.”
It seems Zacharia had issues with being able to handle the press and being accountable. In her very first briefing, just two days on the job, she was criticized by the media for her handling of some questions from the reporters present. She was visibly nervous and mostly stuck to her prewritten script.
It wasn’t a good look, but worse was what critics call her lack of honesty. She called herself a lawyer, but it was later revealed that she had failed the bar exam and therefore had misrepresented her credentials.
The press secretary doesn’t need to be a lawyer. But he or she does need to be able to handle the press and honestly represent the president, his policies, and his administration.
In fact, there really isn’t much of a job description for the position. There’s no confirmation or congressional vetting process, and a person can be hired and fired at the president’s whim. Ari Fleischer, who served in the role under President George W. Bush, once said the hardest part of the job is knowing what not to say.
History of the Press Secretary
Unlike many positions in the president’s administration, the role of press secretary wasn’t established by Congress. By the late 1800s, reporters were regularly covering the White House. Rather than deal with them on his own, President Herbert Hoover in 1929 appointed a journalist named George Akerson to act as his spokesman.
Akerson is considered the first official White House press secretary, and there have been 36 others since. In 1993, Dee Dee Myers was appointed as the first female press secretary under President Bill Clinton. Karine Jean-Pierre, appointed by Joe Biden in 2022, was the first black press secretary.
In 1981, White House Press Secretary James Brady was shot during an attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Now, the briefing room in the White House where the press gathers is named after him.
Zacharia was appointed by President Trump on Oct. 9, 2026, she officially started on Oct. 12, and her last day on the job was Oct. 16. At five days, that was the shortest tenure in US history.
Before her, Stephen Early, who served as acting press secretary Dec. 5-18, 1950, held the record of 14 days. Ironically, Early was the longest-serving press secretary, at 12 years, nearly all of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, including the Great Depression and most of World War II. He returned briefly as acting press secretary under President Harry Truman when the press secretary, Charlie Ross, died while serving and a new one was appointed.
4 Questions
The story, in brief
Who is Katie Zacharia and why did she make White House history?
Katie Zacharia was President Donald Trump's latest White House press secretary. She made history by serving only five days, the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary in US history. Her first briefing drew criticism, and she later faced scrutiny for misrepresenting herself as a lawyer after failing the bar exam.
What does the White House press secretary do?
The White House press secretary is expected to be the president's voice and sometimes the president's face on issues on a daily basis. The role requires access to the president, knowledge of what the president is thinking on policy issues, and accountability to the American people. The job also involves handling the press and honestly representing the president, his policies, and his administration.
How is a White House press secretary chosen and removed?
There is not much of a formal job description for the position. The role was not established by Congress, and there is no confirmation or congressional vetting process. A press secretary can be hired and fired at the president's whim.
Who was the first White House press secretary, and who held the old shortest record?
George Akerson is considered the first official White House press secretary after President Herbert Hoover appointed him in 1929 to act as his spokesman. Before Katie Zacharia, Stephen Early held the shortest-tenure record as acting press secretary from Dec. 5 to 18, 1950, for 14 days. Early also had the longest overall service, at 12 years.
