A former Trump White House official took sharp aim at one of President Trump’s biggest allies on Fox News, and it’s getting a lot of attention.
Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is publicly criticizing Fox News host Sean Hannity over the contentious television interview that came immediately before the end of her extraordinarily brief tenure in the Trump administration, saying she was blindsided by the hostility she encountered from someone she considered an ally.
Zacharia made the comments Tuesday during her first television interview since leaving the White House, telling Newsmax host Rob Finnerty that she remains “perplexed” by what happened during her Oct. 16 appearance on “Hannity.”
The Fox interview became a major moment in Zacharia’s turbulent five-day run as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, with Hannity repeatedly questioning her about her legal credentials and her previous descriptions of herself as a lawyer despite not passing the California bar exam.
Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law and has said she worked in a legal capacity in China, but she acknowledged during the Hannity interview that she did not pass the California bar examination and was not licensed to practice law in the United States.
Hannity pressed Zacharia on why she had not simply explained that she attended law school, failed the bar examination and subsequently pursued a different career rather than engaging in what he characterized as a complicated distinction between being a lawyer and an attorney. The questioning apparently surprised Zacharia because Hannity had publicly defended her only days earlier following criticism of her first White House press briefing.
After that briefing, Hannity complained that Zacharia had been attacked over everything from her appearance and speaking style to her intelligence and professional credentials, including questions about the bar exam. Two days later, however, Hannity was pressing Zacharia directly about many of those same issues during an interview that quickly attracted attention across Washington and social media.
“Because I had had a very friendly rapport with Sean,” Zacharia told Finnerty, she “was not prepared for the hostility” she encountered during the Fox interview. Zacharia revealed that her previous relationship with Hannity’s operation went beyond routine television appearances, saying his team had contacted her earlier in the year about potentially working as a California correspondent focused partly on interviewing voters about Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
WATCH:
Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty asked former White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia whether she believes Sean Hannity set her up with the Fox interview.
She didn’t say no.
Zacharia admitted she was “perplexed” by Hannity’s hostility, especially considering that his own team had approached her earlier this year about working for him.
ZACHARIA: “In January, late February, I was asked by Sean Hannity’s team, I got a phone call from them, asking me if I would consider being Sean’s California man on the street.”
“Basically asking Californians what they thought of Gavin Newsom ahead of potentially a presidential run that Gavin Newsom might make.”
“So Sean Hannity’s team, after being on with him a number of times and having a great rapport with Sean, thought that I would be a valuable asset to be continuing a relationship and in the press for him on his show.”
— Overton (@overton_news) October 28, 2026
She said Hannity’s team never raised questions about her educational or legal background during those discussions and instead appeared enthusiastic about potentially expanding their working relationship. Finnerty raised speculation that someone inside the White House may have given Hannity approval to conduct the unexpectedly aggressive interview, although Zacharia did not endorse that theory and both Fox and Hannity have denied such claims.
Separate reporting has suggested White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles played a role in arranging Zacharia’s appearance, with one unnamed source telling Politico that Wiles and Hannity regularly communicate.
The interview came after Zacharia’s debut White House briefing generated substantial criticism, including from some conservative commentators, over her delivery and preparation. The briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes and included only three questions, while Zacharia later said she deliberately kept the appearance short because Trump was scheduled to speak with reporters himself later that day.
Zacharia also said she had not been fully briefed by White House staff before stepping behind the podium, adding another complication to an appointment that had surprised many inside Washington when Trump announced her as Karoline Leavitt’s successor on Oct. 9.
By Oct. 16, Trump was publicly questioning whether Zacharia should remain in the position, telling reporters that he had suggested she reconsider whether she wanted to continue in the demanding job. Zacharia announced her departure after only five days in the position, praising Trump as “kind” and “gracious” despite the turmoil surrounding her exit.
Her criticism of Hannity does not appear to represent a broader break with Trump or his administration, as Zacharia told Finnerty she would work for the president again “in a heartbeat.” Asked whether she would specifically return as press secretary, Zacharia stopped short of actively seeking the position but said she would accept if Trump personally asked her to come back.
She also floated Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo as a potential successor, praising her knowledge of both business and politics as well as her loyalty to Trump.
Zacharia similarly refused to rule out appearing on Hannity’s program again, telling Finnerty that she does not back away from confrontational interviews and pointing to previous appearances opposite hostile guests on CNN.
