White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is clarifying her recent comments regarding her legal credentials after she claimed she passed the bar exam in China. She now states that she misheard a question about where she passed the bar exam earlier this week, The Hill reports.
The confusion started on the White House South Lawn as President Trump and Zacharia prepared to depart for a campaign trip to Alaska. A reporter shouted a question to the President about which state Zacharia passed the bar exam in, and the President turned to her to ask, “Which state?” In response, Zacharia claimed she passed the exam when she moved to China.
She explained the situation during a phone call on Wednesday, October 23. “I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’” Zacharia said. She noted that the noise from Marine One made it difficult to hear clearly. “That’s all I could hear over the sound of Marine One,” Zacharia told the publication. She added that she wanted to respect protocol and the distance between her and the President, which kept her from moving closer to clarify the question.
This situation follows reports regarding the validity of her legal background
A left-leaning newsletter called Popular Information recently reported that Zacharia is not licensed to practice law in the United States or Washington, D.C. This has led to intense scrutiny of her credentials. Further reporting from another outlet late Wednesday indicated that Zacharia did sit for the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University, but she did not pass. According to that report, she moved to China shortly after that attempt and accepted a position as an associate at the Zhong Lun Law Firm.
The scrutiny has already led to formal action from outside groups. The watchdog organization Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on Wednesday regarding her claims about being a lawyer. It is a messy situation for a new hire, but the White House is maintaining its support for her.
President Trump tapped Zacharia for the role on Friday. White House communications director Steven Cheung issued a statement defending the new press secretary. “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team,” Steven Cheung said in a statement. “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.”
Zacharia had just completed her first turn in the White House briefing room before the incident on the South Lawn occurred. Whether this explanation settles the questions surrounding her background remains to be seen, but the White House is clearly signaling that she is staying in her position.
Published: Oct 16, 2026 07:30 am