Katie Zacharia Says She Was 'Perplexed' by the 'Hannity Treatment' on Fox News After Press Secretary Firing

Former Press Secretary Katie Zacharia admitted she was stunned by the tough questions she faced during what she thought would be a friendly journalist in Sean Hannity. Their viral interview was likely the final straw for her brief and ignominious White House tenure.

In an interview with Newsmax, Zacharia said she was "perplexed" that Hannity was so hostile toward her, saying she thought she had a "great rapport" with the Fox News host before he grilled her on national TV.

On October 27, Newsmax's Rob Finnerty told Zacharia he was "shocked by the Hannity treatment" she received.

The Hannity interview, which took place on October 15, found the veteran Fox News host demanding answers about Zacharia's questionable legal accreditation. Zacharia had previously claimed to be an attorney who had passed the bar exam, when she had done no such thing. Instead, she worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing as an associate.

The interview was reportedly the last straw for President Donald Trump, who intimated to reporters that he told Zacharia to reconsider holding on to the job, and within the hour, she was out of the White House.

Finnerty asked Zacharia if she believed "that Fox did this on purpose” due to “someone in the White House."

The 41-year-old said she was “just as perplexed about what happened, specifically with Sean Hannity.”

She noted she had been friendly with Hannity before, as Fox had previously offered her a "man on the street" job as a reporter covering California. She also said she attempted to get back on the network after her brief stint in the Department of Homeland Security. It wasn't until she got the Press Secretary gig in early October that Fox began reaching out to her "aggressively."

"Because I had had a very friendly rapport with Sean, and he had even made very backing statements about me on Tuesday, October 13th, really coming to my defense, I was not prepared for the hostility that I received,” she said.

Hannity stood up for Zacharia after her trainwreck first — and only — day taking questions at the podium. He raged that the “abusively biased, corrupt news media” had treated her unfairly.

“They are out for blood. Zacharia has been mocked. She’s been attacked over her appearance, her hair, the way she spoke. They questioned her intelligence, her credentials. They even asked about her bar exam," he stated.

But his tone completely shifted when Zacharia appeared on his show later that week, and the stunning reversal may have been the nail in her coffin.

Rumors suggested that someone in the White House — perhaps a Susie Wiles — had essentially given Hannity the "kill order" on Zacharia as she had become a massive embarrassment in just four days on the job.

However, Fox News has denied any coordination with the White House in setting up Zacharia's Hannity hit.

"Sean Hannity decides who he interviews and what he asks his guests, period... Susie Wiles and [White House spokesperson] Danielle Alvarez had nothing to do with the booking,” the network said regarding the rumor.