Katie Zacharia leaving White House role less than five days into job

Katie Zacharia will be leaving her post as White House press secretary, the BBC has confirmed, as the fallout from her shaky public debut appears to have reached its climax. Speaking to reporters moments before news of her exit dropped on Friday, President Donald Trump said he had told her "you don't have to do this if you don't want to" and "honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider". Zacharia faced heavy criticism for her first press briefing in the role on Tuesday, which lasted less than 15 minutes and included only three questions from reporters. She spent the days after playing defence, answering tough questions from news outlets about her credentials and preparedness for the job.