{
  "id": 14811281,
  "title": "Trump’s new press secretary says it’s ‘unknown’ how much she’ll deal with media",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/trumps-new-press-secretary-says-its-unknown-how-much-shell-deal-with",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T22:58:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/15/katie-zacharia-trump-press-secretary-interview"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Katie Zacharia, Donald Trump's new White House press secretary, has expressed uncertainty about the extent of her media engagement. Just six days after being contacted by the White House, she accepted the role and made a six-day journey from Los Angeles to Washington for her first briefing. However, her initial briefing was met with criticism. She has also faced scrutiny over her legal credentials, with reports suggesting she failed the California bar exam. Zacharia maintains that she considers her law degree and international transactional law experience a valid title, despite not being licensed to practice law in California. Her LinkedIn profile reveals a 10-year gap where she worked as an affiliate marketer for Beachbody and as the general counsel for Fix California, a conservative group. The Campaign for Accountability is considering investigating Zacharia for potential violations of the California State Bar Association's rules. Despite not wanting to be seen lobbying for the position, Zacharia is now the White House press secretary, with the White House stating her media interactions are \"unknown at this time.\"",
  "summary": "White House press secretary Katie Zacharia stated it is “unknown” how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings with reporters. According to The Guardian US, Zacharia's first press briefing occurred six days after her initial contact with the White House, following a rapid transition to replace former spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.\n\nZacharia has faced questions regarding her legal credentials after previously telling reporters she had passed a bar exam when she moved to China. In an interview with Jack Posobiec on Real America’s Voice, Zacharia clarified that while she sat for the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011, she did not pass. She stated the results were \"somewhat inconsequential\" because she did not need the bar in China, noting she possessed a law degree.\n\nThe South China Morning Post reports that Zacharia addressed claims regarding her use of the term \"lawyer,\" asserting there has been \"a lot of misinformation\" and that \"absolutely across the board you can call yourself a lawyer.\" She added that she has consulted various people in the field regarding this matter.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Zacharia 'tracked every news hit' to capture Trump's attention in press secretary search",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/zacharia-tracked-every-news-hit-to-capture-trumps-attention-in-press",
        "published": "2026-10-15T19:26:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia defends her legal background and short first briefing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/new-white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-defends-her-legal",
        "published": "2026-10-15T19:40:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia’s law background called into question",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharias-law-background-called-into",
        "published": "2026-10-15T20:18:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Today",
        "title": "New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia defends her legal background and short first briefing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/new-white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-defends-her-legal-14796049",
        "published": "2026-10-15T21:39:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia never passed bar exam, wrongly claims China has none",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-never-passed-bar-exam-wrongly",
        "published": "2026-10-15T21:52:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}