'It was an honour': Katie Zacharia breaks silence after White House firing

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been forced out of her role after less than a week in the high-profile job, following a series of blunders that added to distractions for United States President Donald Trump.

Zacharia was "let go" and is "transitioning out" of the press secretary position, according to two separate White House officials. She faced days of questions ‌about her legal credentials and criticism of her performance in a news briefing and interviews.

"Can confirm," a White House official told AFP, after Fox News reported that Zacharia, 41, was "transitioning out."

The writing was on the wall earlier when Trump made clear he was ready to see his newly minted spokeswoman go.

"I said, 'Katie, is this for you?,'" Trump told reporters. "I said, 'Katie, you don't have to do this'... I said to her, 'Honestly if I were you I'd reconsider.'"

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Zacharia only began her job five days ago, taking over from the combative Karoline Leavitt, who helped Trump reshape White House coverage by bringing in more friendly outlets and fiercely attacking critical media.

Zacharia had got off to a rocky start with her debut press room briefing Tuesday morning.

It lasted less than 15 minutes, beginning with a remarkably slow reading out of what she said were Trump's many accomplishments — then taking just three questions from journalists.

She then was plunged into controversy when it emerged that her previous claims to be a lawyer were not true.

The kerfuffle is a distraction for 80-year-old Trump as he flies around the country trying to boost Republican candidates ahead of the 3 November congressional midterm elections, with polls predicting a drubbing.

The Republican leader himself also faces ever-lower polls as Americans sour over the war against Iran, inflation and perceptions of corruption.

Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and on social media, and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.

While she does have a law degree from a California university, she acknowledged Thursday she had failed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practising law in the US.