What role does the White House Press Secretary play in the Trump era?

The White House is searching for another press secretary after Katie Zacharia exited after less than a week. Her departure followed doubts about her credentials, since she described herself as a lawyer without having passed the bar exam, and a shaky showing at her only briefing. Her final message, posted on social media, called the job under President Trump an honor, according to NPR.

NPR host Ayesha Rascoe used the moment to ask retired Navy rear admiral John Kirby what the position is really for. Kirby, who served as a spokesperson in the Obama and Biden administrations and now directs the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, said the secretary works for the president first but owes the public candor and speed, and that facing an independent press can improve policy. He argued the Trump White House has not permanently altered the job, noting it still holds near-daily briefings and moved quickly to replace Karoline Leavitt. Its real change, he said, is favoring right-wing outlets while excluding Politico, CNN and MS NOW over coverage it dislikes, which he called indefensible.

Kirby opposed legislating or regulating the post, saying tradition has served well.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →