The White House has sharply criticized ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after he used two consecutive monologues to mock newly installed Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, calling her intelligence and appearance into question on national television.
During Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, which aired shortly after Zacharia’s first White House press briefing, Kimmel referred to her as “Malibu Katie” and compared her arrival to “the first day of kindergarten.”
“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 said.
Kimmel went on to suggest 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 also made a vulgar remark about her 14-minute briefing, describing it as time spent flattering the president.
The White House responded in statements to Fox News Digital. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Kimmel was “a no-talent loser who has beclowned himself with tanking ratings and by spewing disgusting lies to his dwindling audience,” adding that 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 defended Zacharia’s record in a separate statement to the same outlet. “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,” Cheung said.
Kimmel’s criticism of Zacharia began before her first briefing. On Monday, he showed a gym photo of her in workout clothes and joked that her qualifications for the job amounted to “blonde hair” and the ability to “do a thumbs up.”
Who is Katie Zacharia
Zacharia, 42, was named last week to succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary. She earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, and has worked as a commentator for Fox News and Newsmax.
Announcing her appointment, Trump described Zacharia as “a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning.” Zacharia has said taking on the role is “the honor of a lifetime.”
