Trump's new press secretary's 'awkward' briefing

Newly appointed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has faced criticism following a stilted and rapid 14-minute news briefing. According to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, the briefing was described as lightning quick.

Following the briefing on Tuesday, Zacharia faced questions regarding her legal credentials. The South China Morning Post reports that Zacharia, who has described herself as a lawyer, stated she passed a bar exam "when I moved to China" but did not identify the jurisdiction. While her LinkedIn profile indicates she worked as an associate at Beijing's Zhong Lun Law Firm from 2011 to 2013, a review by the South China Morning Post of attorney registration records in New York, the District of Columbia, California, Texas, and Florida found no listing for her.

The South China Morning Post also notes that a White House official told NBC News that Zacharia moved to China with her husband after law school due to his employment at an American private equity firm. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding which jurisdiction admitted Zacharia to practice law.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, South China Morning Post, Reuters Business via SCMP — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.