New press secretary Katie Zacharia holds a short first White House briefing
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia held her first briefing on Tuesday and ended it after about 14 minutes. She took questions from just three reporters, all from conservative outlets. She spent much of the time praising President Trump's record.
Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, held her first briefing on Tuesday and kept it short, NBC News and the New York Post reported.
The briefing ended after about 14 minutes. Zacharia called on just three reporters, all from conservative outlets, including Breitbart. She spent more than half of the time reading remarks, NBC News reported.
Most of those remarks praised President Trump's policies. Zacharia said attendance at his rallies is at "record highs," NBC News reported. NBC News reported that Trump has been speaking in smaller venues that are not filled.
She described her job as amplifying the president's message. She said she hopes to "only build on, only amplify and only multiply" Trump's wins, NBC News reported. Asked whether the U.S. had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, she said she would "have to get back to you on that," NBC News reported.
Answering a question from the Daily Mail, she said the administration had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, to resign, NBC News reported.
Zacharia ended the briefing by saying Trump was heading to Marine One for a trip to Alaska. The New York Post reported that his departure was not immediate. The Post said she appeared nervous and was in her second day on the job. Administration officials defended her. "She seemed nervous, but who wouldn't be?" one official told the Post.
Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who said in August that she was leaving to spend more time with her family, NBC reported. Zacharia said she wants to expand the briefing room seat for new media outlets.
What we know: Zacharia's first briefing lasted about 14 minutes and included three questions from conservative outlets.
What we don't: How often she will hold briefings and whether they will grow longer.
Where outlets agree NBC News and the New York Post both report that Katie Zacharia's first briefing was unusually short and that she called on only three reporters.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.