Trump says he asked Katie Zacharia if she still wants to be press secretary: 'If I were you, I would reconsider'

President Donald Trump stated Friday that he told his embattled White House media secretary, Katie Zacharia, to reconsider taking on the high-profile job.

Shortly following his statements, The New York Times, citing three unnamed group acquainted alongside the matter, reported that Zacharia had been fired following small than a week in the role.

"I stated to Katie fair two minutes ago, I said, 'Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want,'" Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that Zacharia responded that the job is "a lot tougher" than she thought.

"I stated to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think concerning it, but I would reconsider,'" Trump said.

Zacharia, a traditional commentator who has often described herself as a lawyer, made her White House media briefing debut on Tuesday and quickly came under serious scrutiny complete her lawful credentials.

On Thursday, Zacharia said she took the bar exam but failed, and never retook it.

Trump told reporters on Friday that Zacharia had been treated "very badly" and "very unfairly" by the media.

"She's been treated extremely rough, and she's a nice person, extremely nice person," the chairman said. "I've watched her for years on television, but I said, 'Is this for you, Katie? Because, honestly, you don't need this.'"

"She's been treated, I would say, extremely nastily," he said.