Trump's new press secretary admits to failing bar exam as her credentials face scrutiny

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia admitted on Thursday that she had failed the bar exam, a necessary qualification for practicing law in the United States, as her credentials come under scrutiny. Zacharia, who President Donald Trump appointed last week, has previously described herself as a lawyer on television and social media, and listed herself as the general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.

However, her legal qualifications were questioned after she gave an unclear answer regarding where she had passed the bar exam. At 41 years old, Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011, but earning a law degree does not automatically grant the right to practice law. In a Fox News interview on Thursday, host Sean Hannity asked Zacharia if she had taken the bar exam and failed, to which she replied, "Yes."

In a separate interview with conservative media outlet Real America’s Voice, Zacharia stated she had registered to take the bar exam but was "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move to China with her husband. She added that the results were "inconsequential" as she would not need the bar in China. When asked if she had taken the bar exam a second time, Zacharia confirmed she had not, explaining that she had four children in six years and never intended to pursue a law career.

Zacharia claimed that many people in the field assured her she could label herself a lawyer due to her law degree and experience in business law gained in China. She emphasized that she could provide "legal analysis, not legal advice." The Campaign for Accountability, a political ethics organization, called for the California Bar Association to investigate Zacharia's credentials, stating that "calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn't puffery; it's a crime" in California.