Trump’s First Pick for Press Sec Revealed After 5-Day Fiasco

Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS Katie Zacharia was not the president’s first choice for press secretary, a new report alleges.

Before Zacharia’s disastrous first press briefing set off a week of hell that culminated in her firing on Friday, President Donald Trump approached Maria Bartiromo about the position, two administration officials tell Axios .

Bartiromo, one of MAGA’s favorite hosts at Fox News before her ouster this summer, was the president’s press secretary of choice but ultimately “signaled she was not going to take the job,” Axios writes.

Rumors have swirled about a potential role for Bartiromo, 59, in the Trump administration since her abrupt firing from Fox, which came after she reportedly shared internal media guidance with the White House against network rules—a claim her attorney has denied.

She worked at Fox for more than 12 years and frequently interviewed Trump, including in April and January this year.

Trump responded to her firing on Truth Social, saying: “I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business.” He has also referred to her as a “total professional” and a “true warrior.” Bartiromo had been considered one of Trump’s staunchest sympathizers at Fox News.

She conducted the first interview with Trump following his 2020 election loss, and ardently supported the claim that the election victory had been stolen from him.

She was also reportedly considered a potential Trump running mate in 2024, according to a 2025 book by former Politico reporter Alex Isenstadt.

After weeks of rumors about Bartiromo and other contenders, including CNN’s token MAGA pundit Scott Jennings, the selection of Zacharia shocked many within the White House.

Reports have since emerged that Trump’s close personal assistant, Natalie Harp, pushed for her hiring.

Zacharia was fired less than five days later—while she was in the middle of an interview with the Wall Street Journal in her new West Wing office.

After her dismissal, Scott Jennings spoke on CNN’s The Source and advised the president on what kind of candidate he should target.

The 38-year-old Republican strategist, once a special assistant to former President George Bush, currently has the highest odds—18 percent—of becoming Trump’s next press secretary, according to Kalshi.

Bartiromo is currently third at five percent, behind Anna Kelly, who served as deputy press secretary under Karoline Leavitt, and Zacharia, at 12 percent.