Washington: White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is set to leave her position barely a week after her appointment, following a turbulent start marked by questions over her professional credentials and an awkward debut briefing.

A person familiar with the development confirmed that Zacharia was transitioning out of the role. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity as the personnel decision had not yet been publicly announced.

The development came hours after US President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether Zacharia should continue as his chief spokeswoman, suggesting that she reconsider the position amid intense media scrutiny.

Zacharia, who took charge on Monday, had been appointed on October 9 to succeed Karoline Leavitt, the youngest-ever White House press secretary and a longtime member of Trump's inner circle.

Her appointment came as a surprise, and the controversy surrounding her brief tenure has drawn comparisons with the frequent staffing changes that characterised Trump's first administration.

Trump suggests Zacharia reconsider the job

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for a rally in Georgia on Friday, Trump said he had advised Zacharia to reconsider whether she wanted to remain in the position.

"I told her, I think you're better off being happy,'" Trump told reporters on the White House lawn as he left for a rally in Georgia. "I said, Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider.' I said, You think about it, but I would reconsider.'"

Trump defended Zacharia against criticism, saying she had been treated unfairly by the media.

The president recalled asking his press secretary, "'Katie, do you need this? I don't think you need this,'" and said he wanted "her to have a good life" rather than face what he described as being "brutalised by the media."

Although Trump indicated that a final decision would follow discussions after his weekend travel, the reported move to transition Zacharia out of the role suggested that her departure was already underway.

"When I get back, we're gonna talk," Trump said, adding that several people were interested in replacing her.

Zacharia did not respond to messages seeking comment on Friday, while the White House offered no immediate response.

Debut briefing draws criticism

Zacharia's troubles began almost immediately after she assumed the role.

During her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, she appeared visibly uncomfortable and struggled through remarks praising Trump and highlighting his administration's achievements.

The briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, during which she answered questions from only three journalists, all representing conservative-leaning or Trump-friendly news outlets.

Her performance prompted questions about her readiness to handle one of the most demanding communications positions in the US administration.

Zacharia subsequently defended the unusually short briefing, explaining that she wanted to leave sufficient time for Trump to interact with reporters later that morning.

She also said White House staff had not fully briefed her before she faced journalists.

Despite accompanying Trump to campaign rallies in Alaska, Arizona and Montana on Wednesday and Thursday, she did not conduct any additional press briefings.

During an appearance on Fox News Channel on Friday, Zacharia was asked whether she enjoyed Trump's confidence.

"I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me," she responded.

However, she declined to indicate when she would hold her next White House press briefing.

Questions over legal credentials

Apart from her performance before reporters, Zacharia faced scrutiny over her repeated descriptions of herself as a lawyer during appearances as a conservative television commentator.

Although she graduated from Pepperdine University with a law degree, she had not passed a bar examination and was not otherwise licensed to practise law.

Zacharia defended her use of the title, arguing that it was appropriate when she provided legal analysis on television. She also maintained that she had worked as a lawyer in China.

Speaking on Fox News on Friday, Zacharia said she had not been questioned about whether she had passed the bar examination before being appointed White House press secretary.

Trump subsequently defended her appointment, pointing out that she had been selected to serve as a White House spokesperson rather than as an attorney.

Before joining the administration, Zacharia worked in communications at Trump Media, the company behind the president's social media platform, Truth Social.

She also briefly served at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's second term.

Her impending departure marks another abrupt personnel change in the Trump administration, with the White House yet to announce who will succeed her as press secretary.