The White House issued a sharp rebuke of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel this week after he spent two consecutive episodes of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” mocking newly installed press secretary Katie Zacharia.
During Tuesday’s broadcast, which aired shortly after Zacharia held her first White House press briefing, Kimmel referred to her as “Malibu Katie” and questioned her intelligence. “I want to introduce you to the new kid in Trump land. It was the first day of kindergarten for the new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia,” Kimmel told his audience.
Kimmel suggested Zacharia had been hired to keep President Donald Trump “awake and interested,” claiming “every six months they bring in a new fawning blonde dolt to add to the rotation.” He went on to criticize her first briefing, which lasted 14 minutes, with a crude remark about her purpose in the role.
On Monday, ahead of Zacharia’s debut briefing, Kimmel had shown a gym photo of her in workout clothes while making jokes about her qualifications, saying she was chosen for her “blonde hair” and her ability to “do a thumbs up.”
White House Responds
The White House pushed back forcefully in statements provided to Fox News Digital. White House spokesman Davis Ingle criticized Kimmel directly.
“Jimmy Kimmel is a no-talent loser who has beclowned himself with tanking ratings and by spewing disgusting lies to his dwindling audience. He is so devoid of actual talent that nobody with any common sense would ever watch him unless it was to laugh at his miserable failures.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung also defended Zacharia in a separate statement to Fox News Digital.
“Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip-smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as press secretary.”
Background on Zacharia
Zacharia, 42, was named press secretary last week to succeed Karoline Leavitt. She graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011 and previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. She has also worked as a commentator for Fox News and Newsmax.
In announcing her appointment, Trump described Zacharia as “a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning.” Zacharia said taking on the role was “the honor of a lifetime.”
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