Welcome to the Jim Acosta Morning Memo on a Friday morning after Trump’s embarrassing new flack continued to implode, while Trump spent his day ranting at first responders and a Newsmax host.
Mooch Watch: Leading off, Katie Zacharia is circling the Scaramucci drain this morning after a series of devastating news stories and interviews that went from bad to worse.
The largest of several issues is the fact that Zacharia has claimed for years to be a practicing attorney, but never passed the bar. This appeared to be news to Trump when reporters confronted them both about it during a press gaggle earlier this week.
Katie didn’t brief for the rest of the week as bad news stories flooded out. Things got worse on Thursday.
You’re Losing: First, there was a softball chat with a Pizzagate conspiracy theorist on RAV, during which Zacharia waved away failing the bar with this explanation.
We just said, ‘Let’s take this time and I’ll take the bar and see what happens.’ The results are somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn’t need the bar in China.
They say when you’re explaining, you’re losing. I don’t know WHAT the hell that was supposed to be.
Sean Darts: But then Zacharia got a pretty intense grilling from, of all people, Sean Hannity. First, he was pretty blunt in asking about her disastrous first briefing, sending Zacharia into a lengthy word salad.
Painful to watch.
Going: Then, Hannity really drilled Zacharia on failing the bar exam, nailing down whether she ever took it for a second time — or a third time.
Going: And I didn’t have Hannity confronting her for calling herself a lawyer on my Bingo card.
Going: But then, in a stunning development, Hannity went in for the kill shot, asking her why she didn’t just tell the truth all along.
GONE: And for good measure, he roasted her to her face for her lousy 3-question briefing.
OUCH! You almost have to feel bad for her. No, not really. But here’s an important point to note.
What Zacharia did was a direct embarrassment to Trump, who spent years calling her a lawyer. And Hannity is a well-known confidant of Trump’s. They’re on a phone call and text-messaging basis.
There is every possibility that Hannity got the greenlight from on high to hammer Zacharia, and that makes her tenure in this job shakier than the lining of Trump’s reflecting pool.
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No Thank You Very Much, Mr. Roboto:
