Katie Zacharia has stepped down as press secretary for U.S. President Donald Trump after serving less than a week in the role, according to sources familiar with the matter. Her departure was confirmed on Friday, leaving the White House communications team unresolved once again.

Zacharia’s brief tenure was marked by difficulties from the start. She delivered only one official press briefing, which received widespread criticism for her slow delivery and limited engagement, answering questions from just a few reporters. Her appointment also drew scrutiny over her professional qualifications, with questions raised about whether she had misrepresented herself as a lawyer despite not having passed the bar exam. Trump had referred to her as “an attorney” when announcing her hiring on social media.

The president said on Friday that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider her role but stopped short of directly stating whether he made the decision to relieve her of her duties. “I said to her, ‘honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,’” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Zacharia’s rapid exit recalls the frequent turnover that has characterized Trump’s White House communications staff. In his first term, Anthony Scaramucci famously lasted just 11 days as White House Communications Director. Scaramucci commented on Zacharia’s departure on the social media platform X, expressing sympathy despite the brevity with which the record was broken.

After facing tough questions during interviews with Fox News—an outlet generally considered favorable to the administration—Zacharia’s efforts to defend her record did not bolster her position.

With Zacharia’s exit, the administration is once again without a White House press secretary, a role that traditionally serves as the primary spokesperson for the president and helps to shape the administration’s messaging. It remains unclear who will be appointed next or when a successor will be named. Additionally, it is not yet known whether Zacharia will remain in any other capacity within the White House or the broader Trump organization.