White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's lawyer credentials called into question
'I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials'
Author of the article
enette Wilford
Published Oct 15, 2026 • Last updated 20 hours ago • 3 minute read
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla /Getty Images
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has many questions to answer, but the most pressing ones have been about herself.
The new White House spokesperson, who took over for Karoline Leavitt, presented herself as a lawyer but after her first press conference earlier this week, Zacharia revealed she took the bar exam in China.
That prompted many to scratch their heads, wondering how she got the gig in the first place.
To become an attorney in the United States, one must pass a bar exam in the U.S. — and Zacharia, 41, is not found in California’s state bar website, indicating she did not pass the exam in her home state, Judd Legum wrote in his Popular Information Substack.
Failed the bar?
Similar to Kim Kardashian, a source familiar with the matter told CNN that Zacharia failed the California bar exam after graduating from law school.
“Katie is a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University, and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, an attorney, and a frequent commentator on outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax,” Trump wrote in an announcement on Truth Social, where Zacharia has been employed as senior communications advisor since June, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning,” the president added, noting that Zacharia had also worked for his election campaigns, assisting in his efforts to win key swing states.
Katie’s connection to China
Zacharia, who has also spent a couple of years working in Beijing, and Trump were leaving Tuesday’s press conference when a reporter asked about her legal training in China.
“You said she’s an attorney. Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?” the reporter asked the president, who turned the question over to Zacharia.
“When I moved to China,” the White House spokeswoman replied without further explanation.
The mother of four later clarified to the New York Times that she had misheard the question.
“I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’” she said.
“That’s all I could hear over the sound of Marine One, and wanting to respect protocol, the distance behind the president, kept me from moving closer to hear the question,” she explained, though it remains unclear as to where she passed the bar.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia (L) joins U.S. President Donald Trump as he departs on the South Lawn of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia (L) joins U.S. President Donald Trump as he departs on the South Lawn of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Photo by Win McNamee /Getty Images
According to her LinkedIn, among other jobs, Zacharia for the Zhong Lun Law Firm from August 2011 to June 2013.
“I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” Zacharia told the Times, though it’s not what credentials she was referring to.
She added that she consulted with Pepperdine’s president about how to identify herself, and that she was told not to use “attorney” or “esquire,” but that “lawyer” was OK.
However, in Legum’s newsletter, he pointed out that while in China, Zacharia served as “outside counsel” to both the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
While a law degree is not required to be White House press secretary, the issue, according to Legum, is that she presented herself repeatedly as a lawyer.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia speaks during a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia speaks during a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on October 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Photo by Chip Somodevilla /Getty Images
Early days
White House spokesman Steven Cheung also defended Zacharia, saying in a statement: “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary.”
Cheung also praised Zacharia’s first few days in the role in another post on X: “Up and down the White House, everyone has been thoroughly impressed with Katie in just a few short days on the job.”
He added: “At the end of this second term, she’ll be remembered as one of the all-time greats.”
Katie Zacharia told The New York Times that the confusion over her legal credentials was the result of one big misunderstanding.
nytimes.com
There is no evidence Zacharia has ever been licensed to practice law — and the White House did not provide any
popular.info
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has many questions to answer, but the most pressing ones have been about herself.
torontosun.com
