I rarely feel sympathy for any people who go to work for Donald Trump in Cabinet or high profile position. Yet, I did feel bad observing Katie Zacharia’s ouster as White House press secretary.
A few observations:
Zacharia was clearly overmatched by the job. As far as I can tell, there was nothing in her background or experience indicating that she could handle such a demanding role. She should have recognized that she lacked the qualifications to be a credible White House spokesperson.
She is hardly alone. The second Trump administration is filled with people whose competence, judgment, and experience seem ill-suited to their positions. I’ll leave it to future historians to explain how so many questionable appointments were made. As unqualified as Zacharia appeared to be, I can’t say she was any worse than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, or much of Trump’s Cabinet and inner circle. Marco Rubio may be the closest thing to a credible Cabinet member—but only by comparison
Whoever vetted Zacharia or made the hiring decision should also be held accountable. Clearly, someone else failed at their job.
I can’t imagine many jobs more difficult—or more impossible—than being a credible spokesperson for Donald Trump.
