Politics'They Are Angry in the White House' After 'Worst Vetting in a Decade' for New Press Secretary, MS NOW Host Says
Joe Scarborough said White House staffers are furiously calling him to complain about Katie Zacharia.
Oct. 14 2026, Published 5:39 p.m. ET
White House staffers are reportedly furious about the threadbare vetting of new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia — so much so, they're supposedly calling Joe Scarborough to complain.
The MS NOW host claimed he was flooded with calls after Zacharia's rough first press conference on October 13, saying, "White House officials were blindsided. And now I can't even repeat some of the things they are saying about this decision. But inside the White House they are angry.”
'The Worst Vetting in a Decade'
Scarborough called Zacharia's hire 'the worst vetting in a decade.'
Viewers felt Zacharia, who Donald Trump hired on a whim after blowing by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, was stiff and appeared to have trouble reading her notes in her awkward 14-minute first day behind the podium.
The performance left one anonymous White House staffer pondering if her job was already in jeopardy, comparing her to former Press Secretary Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted a mere 11 days in Trump's first term.
"This is the worst vetting in a decade for the White House since Bernie Kerik,” Scarborough said, referring to George W. Bush's controversial 2004 nominee for Homeland Security Secretary.
Zacharia Reportedly Timed Her TV Appearances to Catch Trump's Attention
Zacharia may have tried to get Trump's attention by inserting herself in his media diet.
Scarborough's co-host, Jonathan Lemire, brought up reporting suggesting Zacharia manipulated Trump to get the job to succeed Karoline Leavitt.
"I mean, the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, was not consulted on this. This is from President Trump, who had seen her do a number of media appearances," he said. "She's been on Newsmax, she's done some Fox News. There's some reporting from [Politico] Playbook that in recent weeks, after Karoline Leavitt announced that she was going to leave, that the new press secretary timed her media appearances to moments where she thought President Trump might be watching.“
Zacharia had been in Trump's orbit for less than a year before landing the high-pressure job, having worked in the DHS press office in February for a month and working a gig in Trump Media over the summer.
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Zacharia Was Slammed on Her First Day
Zacharia and Harp joined Trump on a trip to Alaska.
Trump did not publicly slam Zacharia's rough first day, telling a gaggle of press that he thought she did a "great job" before he departed on Marine One with Zacharia and Natalie Harp for a trip to Alaska.
During the same chat, he appeared stunned to hear Zacharia say that she passed the bar exam in China.
Her statement set off a hunt for evidence she's ever passed a bar exam, as China's bar exam is reserved for Chinese citizens. There is no evidence Zacharia has passed the bar in the United States, despite referring to herself as a lawyer.
Trump May Be Prepping Purge
White House staffers are on edge for a Trump purge.
Reports suggest that Zacharia's hire has White House staffers on edge anticipating Trump is going to "carry out a purge" after the 2026 midterms, where Republicans are expected to take heavy losses.
Zacharia may be included in that purge if her work behind the podium doesn't improve.
