re: Over/under 1 month until Zacharia is replaced? ***Update: She’s already being replaced

There are rumblings that she’s been fired.

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Trump saw an attractive blonde who is loyal to him and said give her the job no questions asked.

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I wouldn’t doubt it.

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There are rumblings that she’s been fired.

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I heard a clip on the radio that sounded like a gaggle outside Marine One. Trump said that he talked to Zacharia, told her that the media was treating her “horribly,” and asked her if this is really something she wanted to do. It’s obvious , she’s getting pushed out.

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He prob doesn't want it.

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Yes, he certainly did.

And if you watch his appearances in CNN for the past two weeks I guarantee you can determine the exact day he learned he wasn’t selected…because he switched from wrote defensive talking points to equivocation overnight.

Not that she had a chance, obviously way out of her league in that job, but seemed like Hannity went full "CNN anchor" mode on her. Maybe saw it coming and did the Administration a favor...

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That was her last chance to look professional and she even bombed Hannity. You know Trump was watching.

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No doubt Trump had instructed Hannity to ask her pointed questions. The question is if Trump had already made up his mind to fire her.

Don’t understand why Trump hasn’t asked
Emily Compagno from Fox News. Brilliant lawyer, quick witted, but maybe no blonde enough???

Eta: after I hit submit, I saw updated headlines she may be out already. Too bad. Will leave the rest of my post here anyway.

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Was there more to the interview? I ask because I didn't see "disaster" at all. At most she came across as someone not used to being on camera.

To echo SFP, she's at KJP level right now. Contrary to SFP though, I'm not ready to condemn her to that being her peak. I'm willing to give her a week or three to see how she handles the heat.

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This is close to my own opinion: Her first week is not good, but I wouldn't call it a disaster yet either ("disaster" is the hyperbolic rhetoric the Left wants to push with any decision Trump makes). Giving the Left ammo to clutch their pearls is always a bad idea as they go out of their way to punish conservatives for any mistakes in a way that they do not hold themselves accountable (see Alinsky: "Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. "You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."). But calling this week a disaster is highly subjective and I don't see it that way... a regrettable start, sure; a disaster, not yet. Right now-- unfortunately-- she (her credentials) is the story, and that is making her uncomfortable. Her ability to perform the duties she was hired to do remains to be seen, and that is more important than the current headlines.

That being said, it won't be surprising if Katie's stint is short. Trump is probably annoyed if he didn't know about this lawyer label issue, so her leash is likely shorter. And the media want her to fail so they can blame Trump. They'll be unforgiving and will magnify every stutter or inexact answer into a new opportunity to rehash her credentials and potential lack of vetting by the Trump admin as more horrific than they are. So, she has a hole to dig out of now. And that means she'll have to really up her game and show improvement to overcome this initial stumble. If she doesn't and is out quickly, the "disaster" label will stick. If she improves and guts out the initial media onslaught against her, the media will be forced to eventually look for easier targets. To that end, there is some hope.

Regarding her camera presence, I've seen her quite a bit on Newsmax... she's been a frequent guest for a 5 minute segment here and there with one or both of the Robs (Schmitt / Finnerty). In that friendly setting, she's solid: articulate, charming, and direct (and not like KJP). It would not be surprising to me if Trump saw some of these appearances (he appears to be a fan of Newsmax himself) and envisioned Katie being a natural fit for press secretary... and with Leavitt leaving, he decided to fast track her to get that item off his plate and focus on more important things. This would explain the whirlwind hiring process Katie described in the interview as a Wednesday call, a Friday meeting, being hired, one day (Monday) of learning the process and being exposed to the talking points, then getting thrown to the wolves on Tuesday.

Of course, if Trump fast-tracked it that way-- without vetting-- it was hasty and not wise. Trump-- however good his political instincts can be (I don't think anyone else would've succeeded as he did against Clinton and the media in 2016, and made the comeback he did in 2024)-- still has some fast execution CEO in his DNA: "ready, fire, aim... then revise" vs the more methodical "ready, aim, fire". This agile mindset ethos usually works better in the business world than the political world where it is important to manage perception as much or more than results. So, in fast tracking her, he did neither himself nor her any favors.