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White House chief of staff Susie Wiles helped arrange Katie Zacharia’s turbulent interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity the day before she was fired as White House press secretary, according to a report.
During Thursday night’s interview, Hannity asked Zacharia about his Tuesday press briefing — which he called “widely criticized” — and repeatedly questioned his legal bona fides.
An anonymous source close to the matter said Policy the prime-time appearance on the president’s favorite channel amounted to a “sanctioned hit” against the embattled press secretary.
The White House, however, rejected suggestions that Wiles – who was apparently not present when Zacharia was hired – had helped arrange his departure. “All this breathless speculation is just that: speculation. And it’s fiction that’s not even creative,” White House communications director Steven Cheung told the outlet.
Zacharia, 41, was ousted Friday after just five days on the job. His extremely brief tenure was defined by a single 14-minute press briefing that drew criticism from Trump’s allies and critics.
“Susie fed her Hannity,” another anonymous source said. Policyadding that the chief of staff and the Fox News host speak regularly.
Others have disputed this version, arguing that Zacharia sealed her own fate with her first press briefing, during which she answered only three questions and incorrectly referred to her husband as “my president.”
“Susie and Sean talk, but Susie didn’t need to feed it to Sean or anyone else. That’s not her style,” a senior White House official told the outlet. “And Hannity wasn’t the nail in his coffin.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
A Fox News insider also attributed Zacharia’s downfall to his own actions.
“It was clear by the end of this week that she was performing on her own. If you can’t answer simple questions about your qualifications, that says a lot,” the source said. A network spokesperson added that Hannity chooses his own guests.
“Sean Hannity decides who he interviews and what he asks of his guests, period,” Fox News said in a statement provided to The Independent. “This has been true for three decades, through multiple administrations, and this authenticity is why he has been number one for almost 30 years. Susie Wiles and Danielle Alvarez had nothing to do with this booking.”
Hannity opened Thursday night’s interview by highlighting the scrutiny Zacharia was facing.
“All right, Katie, I know this is a highly watched interview for you,” he told Zacharia as she smiled. “And you had your first moment as press secretary. It was widely criticized, I’m sure you know that. It only lasted 14 minutes. You only answered three questions.”
The Fox News host then pressed her on her legal credentials, which had come under scrutiny after she promoted descriptions of herself as a lawyer. “You went to Pepperdine Law School, but you didn’t pass the bar exam, did you?” he asked. “That’s right,” Zachariah replied.
Zacharia, a former Newsmax contributor and DHS spokesperson, later defended her first press briefing, saying it took place on her second day on the job and she didn’t have enough time to prepare.
“We wish you well,” Hannity said at the end of the seven-minute interview.
The next day, Trump told reporters that he had spoken with Zacharia about the possibility of resigning. “I said, ‘Is this for you Katie? Because honestly, you don’t need this,'” the president said at a press gathering on the White House lawn. “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider.”
U.S. officials later confirmed that Zacharia had been fired.
The former press secretary later released a statement praising Trump, who reportedly hired her after becoming “somewhat infatuated” with her TV news appearances.
“Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, caring, enthusiastic and hard-working man,” she wrote on X. “It was an honor to work for him.”
Wiles, whom Trump called the “Ice Maiden,” has herself faced rumors of a potential ouster, with some White House aides already reportedly vying to succeed her. The president said Friday there was “zero chance” he would replace her.
“Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest-serving chief of staff – there’s a reason for that,” he said. Policy earlier this week. “She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor and has my complete confidence.”
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