New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- US President Donald Trump said on Friday (October 16) that he had advised new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to reconsider her role, as she faces mounting criticism over claims that she was a lawyer and a widely criticised debut press briefing.

"I said, 'Katie, is this for you?'" Trump told reporters as he left the White House for Georgia. "I said, 'Katie, you don't have to do this'.... I said to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider.'"

"I told her, I think you're better off being happy," he added.

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

Zacharia's future appeared uncertain barely a week after taking up the position, with interviews on conservative media o...