Trump Wanted Maria Bartiromo for Press Secretary Before Katie Zacharia: Report

[u/John3262005]

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-wanted-maria-bartiromo-for-press-secretary-before-katie-zacharia-report/

President Donald Trump was reportedly interested in former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo for the job of White House press secretary before Katie Zacharia stepped into the role for a few days.

Axios, citing two administration sources, reported that Trump wanted Bartiromo as the press secretary replacement for Karoline Leavitt, but Bartiromo “signaled she was not going to take the job.” CNN’s Scott Jennings was reportedly also “in contention” for the position, but he was not offered the gig.

Fox News Media has abruptly parted ways with longtime anchor Bartiromo in September after 12-and-a-half years, a move that shocked the media world.

“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the network said at the time in a statement.

Like Jennings, Bartiromo is a loyal and vocal supporter of the president on the airwaves. Reports suggested Bartiromo’s exit was tied to her allegedly sharing confidential internal guidance about the network’s coverage of the president with the White House.

Bartiromo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, did not immediately respond to Mediaite’s request for comment.

Trump posted after her exit that her fans “will not be happy.”

Zacharia was announced as the new press secretary on Oct. 9 and officially began on Oct. 12 before losing the gig on Oct. 16. During her brief time in the job, she held a disastrous press conference that lasted just 14 minutes, faced major questions about whether she ever passed the bar exam, and she was grilled by Fox News’ Sean Hannity on the air just hours before news of her being out hit headlines.

Trump said on Friday he spoke to Zacharia and suggested she “reconsider” the position amid her growing controversies. He also said he’d possibly find a way for her to stay in the administration “in a more pleasant form.”

The president told Fox News’ Peter Doocy that he is in “no rush” to name a new press secretary after Zacharia.

Zacharia took to social media on Friday evening to post a photo of herself with Trump in the Oval Office.

“President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man,” she wrote. “I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him.”