President Donald Trump abruptly dismissed Katie Zacharia as White House spokesperson last week, after she had served just five days in the role. Her exit was the most notable development of the week, which also saw Kimberly Guilfoyle removed from her post as ambassador to Greece.
Questions have been raised about how Zacharia got the job. She did not work on Trump’s re-election campaign, and although she had made media appearances in the past, she was not a working journalist. She had briefly served in the press office of the Department of Homeland Security when Kristi Noem was secretary, a period that was hardly a positive experience given Noem’s short tenure, its controversies and her own dismissal in March.
Press reports have suggested that the president personally made the decision to hire Zacharia, and that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was not an essential part of the process. The commentary behind this report argues that Trump acted swiftly to cut his losses, showing he was in control rather than presiding over an administration that was “falling apart” or “in turmoil,” as some media headlines had claimed.
Guilfoyle’s removal and rumours about Hegseth
Trump also removed Guilfoyle, a personal friend, over what was described as her alleged corruption in Europe. The commentary notes that the dismissals came as the administration faces a continuing US-Israel war on Iran and high energy prices.
Separately, it is rumoured that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is now at risk of losing his job. The rumours follow reports that the president rejected Hegseth’s plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, who was described as a terrorist who shot 13 people at Fort Hood military base in 2009.
Past White House turmoil in second terms
The commentary says staff upheaval is not unusual in the White House under any president, particularly in a second term or when voters are angry and polls look poor. It points to President George W Bush, who fired press secretary Scott McClellan and withdrew the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers before the disastrous 2006 election, and who fired Donald Rumsfeld as defence secretary after the midterms.
Other second terms also brought trouble. Reagan’s press team dealt with the fallout of the Iran-Contra scandal, while Clinton’s second term was driven by the Monica Lewinsky affair. Nixon faced impeachment, and Obama had to manage the Benghazi consulate attack in Libya, which also involved Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The author also notes clear differences. McClellan served three years, not five days, and Miers was not caught in a scandal when her nomination was pulled, although the media and the Senate questioned her qualifications. The commentary adds that the war with Iran is not as bloody or costly as the US invasion of Iraq.
Midterm elections are also widely seen as a referendum on the president. According to the commentary, the governing party has lost seats in Congress in 18 of the 20 midterms held over the past 80 years.
What the episode says about White House hiring
The commentary contrasts Trump’s response with that of Joe Biden, who kept spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre in the job for three years. The author describes her as every bit as incompetent as Zacharia, and says Biden should have acted sooner.
The commentary credits Trump for removing Zacharia before she became a greater embarrassment. However, it argues that the president needs a better process for choosing staff in the first place, and suggests he should consult his chief of staff before making such appointments.
