At a critical time, Trump finds himself without the help of a press secretarypublished at 20:10 BST
20:10 BST
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Image source, Reuters
The White House press secretary job is a challenging one,
even under the best of circumstances.
These were not the best of circumstances.
Katie Zacharia was thrown into the whirlwind, joining a
White House just weeks away from what is shaping up to be very difficult
midterm congressional elections for Donald Trump and his Republican
Party.
The White House has been beset by a series of controversies
– including allegations of corruption that forced the resignation of US
Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and an abrupt reversal of plans to
publicly air a military execution in December after widespread bipartisan
objection.
A skilled press secretary may have been able to navigate
these political landmines and continue to push the White House message in the
face of a building media frenzy. Zacharia, a relative novice, only fanned the
flames.
Her halting Tuesday press conference performance, combined
with the questions about her legal background, essentially sealed her fate. And
subsequent press appearances, including a less-than-welcoming interview with
conservative talking head Sean Hannity on Thursday – which Trump said he
watched – did nothing to change that.
As president, Trump has essentially acted as his own press
secretary, making major announcements and changing policies from the Oval
Office, White House lawn and airfield tarmacs. But his press secretaries, when
they’ve been effective, have smoothed relations with the media, provided
context for inquisitive journalists and helped tamp down simmering issues.
At a critical time in his second term, Trump will be
without such help.