The White House couldn’t answer one simple question about Katie Zacharia’s credentials. The new press secretary and Trump administration faced scrutiny over her claims of being an attorney after reporters pressed for basic details.
Katie Zacharia’s legal credentials face scrutiny after bar exam question
The White House failed to clarify new press secretary Katie Zacharia’s legal credentials on Tuesday, HuffPost reported. President Donald Trump introduced Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment last week. However, independent journalist Judd Legum found no evidence she holds a license to practice law in any U.S. state.
Reporters asked Zacharia directly where she had passed the bar exam. She responded with a smile: “When I moved to China.” HuffPost then contacted the White House with the same question but received no direct answer.
A White House official instead addressed her time abroad. “Katie moved to China with her husband after graduating because of his job at an American private equity firm while she worked on international transaction law,” the official said. A follow-up email asking again where she was barred went unanswered.
Zacharia’s LinkedIn page lists her as an attendee of Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. The school recognized her as an alumna and congratulated her on the new role. She also serves as a board member on the school’s Dean’s Council.
Her LinkedIn profile lists legal positions including an associate role at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013. She also served as general counsel at Fix California, a right-wing political action group.
The credentialing questions emerged the same day Zacharia held her first press briefing, which drew widespread criticism. She spent most of her time fielding softball questions and praising the president. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked how she viewed her role. “What I hope to do in this position is to take that into an official capacity and only build on, only amplify, and only multiply to the extent possible, all of the wins he’s making for Americans,” she replied.
