Update - 1:50 PM ET:

There are now reports that Katie Zacharia will be "transitioning out" of her role as White House Press Secretary. 

Fox News White House Correspondent Aishah Hasnie indicates a "senior White House official" conveyed the news to her colleague, Peter Doocy.

Original story: 

Katie Zacharia hasn't even had a full week to settle into her new job as White House press secretary, and the pressure has been relentless.

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The former Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman was picked to bring a fresh voice to the White House briefing room after replacing Karoline Leavitt. 

But her first few days have been dominated by a barrage of media criticism, questions about her professional background, and scrutiny of her unusually brief debut at the podium.

Now President Donald Trump has weighed in, and his comments are drawing attention. Speaking with reporters, Trump was asked whether he was considering moving Zacharia into another administration position.

"I said, 'when I get back, we're going to talk,' because I don't think that Katie should be made to suffer like she's suffering at the hands of the press," Trump said.

"So I will talk to her as soon as I get back."

The president's remarks came amid reports that he had encouraged his newest spokeswoman to reconsider whether she wanted to remain in the high-pressure position.

Rather than publicly announcing a replacement or suggesting he was dissatisfied with her performance, Trump pointed out the harsh treatment Zacharia has received from the White House press corps.

Zacharia was named Leavitt's replacement on October 9, bringing experience in conservative political advocacy, legal work, and administration communications to one of Washington's most demanding jobs.

She previously served as a spokeswoman at DHS and as general counsel for Fix California, the political organization founded by former Trump administration official Ric Grenell. A mother of four, she had also become a familiar defender of the president during television appearances.

Her arrival came at a particularly sensitive moment. The White House has been engaged in an increasingly contentious relationship with major media outlets, and the November midterm elections are approaching rapidly.

Zacharia's first briefing, however, lasted only about 14 minutes, prompting immediate criticism from reporters and commentators accustomed to longer exchanges.

Questions have also surfaced about her legal bona fides, adding another line of attack before she has had much opportunity to establish herself in the position.

The speed of the backlash has been striking. As I reported earlier this week, former White House press secretary Dana Perino offered Zacharia some advice about the challenges awaiting her, particularly if Democrats regain control of the House in November.

"We know her a little bit. She is very bright. She's a lawyer," Perino said during a Fox News discussion.

Perino noted that Zacharia had chosen to hold a briefing almost immediately after taking the job, calling it an aggressive move given how little time she had to prepare and develop a working relationship with the president.

"Perhaps she will try to kill them with kindness," Perino suggested.

But the former George W. Bush spokeswoman also warned that the political environment could become substantially more difficult after the midterms.

"And also, if the Democrats do take over the House, look out. That is when all the legal stuff comes to the forefront," she said.

Perino knows something about the pressure. She served as White House press secretary during the final two years of the Bush administration, when the president faced a hostile political environment and an opposition-controlled Congress.

In a separate appearance, she explained that the public sees only a fraction of what the job actually entails.

"What people see is the hour that you're briefing a day. But what they don't realize is the 23 other hours of the day is when all of the other work happens," Perino said.

"You're responding to reporters, getting briefed on administration policy, meeting with the president, and preparing to answer questions on virtually every issue confronting the federal government. It's a job where even experienced communicators can find themselves overwhelmed."

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet offered a more encouraging assessment of Zacharia's debut.

"Thought it was smart of new WH Press Sec Katie Zacharia to rip the band-aid and hold her first press briefing straight away," he wrote.

Kolvet acknowledged that she appeared somewhat nervous while reading her prepared remarks but described her as relatable and likable, particularly when discussing her family.

He also pointed out that Zacharia made actual news during the briefing, including an announcement concerning Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle and new campaign stops for Trump.

"Solid start! Good for her," Kolvet concluded.

Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly was less interested in critiquing Zacharia's performance than in calling out what she viewed as a glaring media double standard.

"These left wing pundits so horrified by Katie Zacharia's performance at her FIRST press briefing are the same ppl who told us Karine Jean-Pierre was amazing at the job and that if you disagreed you were sexist/racist/bigoted against lesbians," Kelly wrote. "Please."

Such criticism will resonate with conservatives who remember the years of evasive answers and scripted responses from Biden administration press secretaries Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre.

Zacharia, by comparison, is dealing with an overwhelmingly hostile press. That is definitely a major consideration when assessing her performance moving forward.