When Katie Zacharia's short stint as White House press secretary came to an abrupt end, it was such a relief. But the obvious question became who President Donald Trump would turn to next.
Zacharia's brief tenure was an unfortunate and preventable distraction. Trump tapped her earlier this month to succeed Karoline Leavitt, and on paper, her résumé looked solid enough. She had served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, and before that she worked as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security.
Then she stepped behind the podium for the first time, and it was clear this was not the job for her.
Her debut briefing lasted a grand total of 14 minutes. She fielded questions from just three reporters and leaned on her notes the entire time. At one point, she referred to her husband as "my president" before catching herself. It was Karine Jean-Pierre-level bad.
But Zacharia's poor performance soon became the least of her problems. Reports revealed she had called herself a lawyer for years without ever passing the bar exam, and the media interviews that followed only dug the hole deeper. With Zacharia gone, the White House needs a replacement, and honestly, my immediate concern was that it would make another poor choice.
That concern faded fast when I learned that Leavitt is advising Trump as he weighs his options. "I've offered my help to the president to help him select someone who can serve him and the country well," Leavitt told Fox News Digital.
"White House press secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously, for almost two years, and many people say it's one of the hardest jobs in politics," Leavitt said.
She added that the role "takes a lot of preparation and sometimes you don't know how someone will perform until they go out there."
Leavitt offered nothing but class toward her successor. "We wish Katie the best," she said. "The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well."
As for who comes next, Leavitt explained that Trump "is continuing to look over options. There's a lot of people who want that job. It's an amazing job. It provides you with incredible opportunities."
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"I'll keep my private counsel to the president private, but I do obviously talk to him about what the job entails, and he knows it very well," Leavitt said when asked about the advice she has given him.
"Nobody understands the press better than Donald Trump. He knows he needs someone who is tough, who is smart, who understands his policies, who is loyal, and who can go out there and put up a fight," she continued.
Good administrations make mistakes. Great ones learn from them quickly and lean on the people who have already proven themselves. Trump is doing exactly that, and it tells me the next person behind that podium will be ready to fight for this president and his agenda from day one. I feel a lot better about the process going forward now.