Trump Had His Eye on Maria Bartiromo for Press Secretary Before Katie Zacharia: Report

Skip to content Two administration sources tell Axios that the former Fox News host “signaled she was not going to take the job” October 17, 2026 @ 10:01 AM Donald Trump (Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images) and Maria Bartiromo (Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images) Before Katie Zacharia’s brief turn as White House press secretary, Donald Trump reportedly had his eye on former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo for the job. According to a Friday report from Axios, two administration sources told the outlet that the president wanted Bartiromo to take over for Karoline Leavitt. However, she “signaled she was not going to take the job.” CNN’s Scott Jennings was also “in contention” but was reportedly not offered the role. Bartiromo abruptly exited Fox News Media in September. Fox Business Network’s “Mornings With Maria” was rebranded as “Mornings With FOX Business,” while “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” was also taken off the air. Fox did not provide a reason for Bartiromo’s departure. “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Fox News Media said in a statement at the time. Representatives for Bartiromo and the White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment. Zacharia was fired Friday, just five days after taking over for Leavitt. Her tenure got off to a rocky start with a first press briefing that lasted just 14 minutes. Her departure marked the shortest tenure for a White House press secretary in modern history, surpassing the previous record set by Anthony Scaramucci, who was fired after 11 days as White House communications director in 2017. The dismissal came just hours after the president urged Zacharia to “reconsider” the opportunity following a rocky first week at the podium, according to The New York Times. Despite her firing, Zacharia had nothing but kind words to say about the president. “President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic and hardworking man,” she wrote on X Friday evening. “I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.” She added: “It was an honor to work for him.” President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.It was an honor to work for him. pic.twitter.com/Tp4NizrhE2— Katie Zacharia (@KatieZacharia) October 17, 2026