Ex-Trump official fired after just 11 days drops brutal jab against White House press secretary

National PoliticsPresident Donald Trump speaks to the reporters as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Washington, as White House press secretary Katie Zacharia looks on. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)AP Photo/Julia Demaree NikhinsonAnthony Scaramucci, the former short-lived White House communications director, is weighing in after his name surfaced following White House press secretary Katie Zacharia’s first briefing Tuesday.A number of critics of the president compared Zacharia to Scaramucci, who served just 11 days in the Trump administration during the president’s first term, in 2017, after her initial appearance in front of press, which lasted around 15 minutes. Zacharia opened the briefing by touting President Donald Trump’s agenda ahead of the midterm elections before taking three questions from reporters. She quickly wrapped up by saying that Trump will continue to answer questions later in the day before boarding Marine One.Scaramucci, known for his tumultuous, short-lived tenure, reacted to Zacharia’s performance not soon after on X: “The clock is running.”“Thus far 1/11th of a Scaramucci,” he went on to quip. When asked if Scaramucci would be happy because his record “might get broken,” he wrote in another post, “Not me. I hope she makes it.”Zacharia was announced as White House press secretary last week, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August to spend more time with her family.Following the briefing, a number of outlets reported on negative reactions from anonymous White House officials, including CNN, which noted that some are questioning how long Zacharia will stay in the job.One person who spoke to CNN described her initial appearance as unusual, and another called it “brutal.”A White House official separately told MS NOW: “Getting behind the podium is tough, but she got off on the wrong foot. She needs to get much better fast, otherwise she’ll break Scaramucci’s record.”Former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart said in an interview with CNN that it was a “little bizarre to rush her out there, then rush her out of the room.”“I’m not sure what they were hoping to accomplish, but I don’t think they built any confidence in her ability to go forward,” Lockhart said.Meanwhile, former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki, an anchor for MS NOW, posted on X, “Well that briefing was basically an SNL skit….except it wasnt.”Trump’s allies and supporters defended Zacharia’s performance, with some arguing that she deserves more time to adjust to the position.Zacharia was a senior communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social. She also served as a deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.She appeared frequently as a guest on Fox News, Fox Business and Newsmax.Rachel Cohen covers national politics as a reporter for Advance Local, focusing on President Donald Trump's second term and Congress. She previously worked as a trending political reporter for NJ.com. Her work...