Trump on Zacharia: "Welcome To The World Of Trump"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/16/trump_on_zacharia_welcome_to_the_world_of_trump.html

President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon defended his now-former press secretary, Katie Zacharia, as his administration announced she would be leaving the role she held for less than a week.

"She is a nice person. very nice person. I watched her for years on television. I said, 'Is this for you, Katie? Honestly, you don't need this,'" Trump said.

Trump also commented on her Thursday night appearance on "Hannity," where she faced difficult questions from the FOX News Channel host (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/15/sean_hannity_to_new_press_secretary_katie_zacharia_you_crashed_and_burned_in_first_briefing.html).

"She was on Sean Hannity last night. And Sean was a little bit tough. And she did -- I saw FOX & Friends this morning; they were a little tough. She has been treated, I would say, pretty nastily. I said, two minutes ago, Katie, you don't have to do this if you don't want. She said, 'This is a lot tougher.' I said, 'Welcome to the world of Trump.'"

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And I said to Katie, just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this. You don't want to. She said, "This is a lot tougher." I said, "Welcome to the world of Trump."

REPORTER: Are you going to keep her?

TRUMP: I don't know. I'm going to let her make that decision.

REPORTER: he's up in the air, potentially?

TRUMP: She's up, yeah. Look, she's a nice person, a great person. And she's been treated roughly, you know.

I said, do you want to really live like this? I don't think they'll ever ease up. And, you know, Karoline [Leavitt] did a very good job. I think Katie maybe would do. But Katie's off to a start that the news has been so nasty to her. I've never seen anything like it, actually.

REPORTER: Is she reconsidering?

TRUMP: And I said, I said to her, "Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think about it."

But I would reconsider. You got a beautiful husband and family. I met the family yesterday. Beautiful kids, just like from a picture postcard. And I said, you should reconsider because you don't want to go through this.

REPORTER: What do you want her to do?

Watch Trump's full press gaggle: