{
  "id": 14835094,
  "title": "Trump’s new press secretary defends ‘lawyer’ title",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-defends-lawyer-title",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T00:18:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/16/trump-s-new-press-secretary-defends-lawyer-title"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Washington: White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, who recently began her role under President Donald Trump, has come under scrutiny for her legal background. Despite holding a law degree from Pepperdine University, there is no evidence to suggest that the 41-year-old has ever passed the bar exam, which is required to practice law in the United States. This discrepancy came to light after she described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and on social media platforms. When questioned by Real America's Voice, a conservative media outlet, Zacharia admitted to registering for the bar exam but claimed to have been distracted by personal matters at the time. She stated that she planned to take the bar exam later, and the results were not significant because she knew she wouldn't need a US license in China. Upon returning to the US, Zacharia worked as a lawyer at a major Chinese law firm, explaining that she did not retake the bar exam after her first child's birth. The Campaign for Accountability, a political ethics organization, has called for the California Bar Association to investigate Zacharia's claims. In California, falsely presenting oneself as a lawyer without a license is considered a crime. Zacharia recently held her first White House press briefing, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, another Trump supporter, who stepped down to focus on her young children.",
  "summary": "Katie Zacharia has described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "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"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "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",
        "published": "2026-10-15T22:58:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Trump’s new press secretary defends ‘lawyer’ title",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-defends-lawyer-title-14836660",
        "published": "2026-10-16T00:18:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Trump’s new press secretary appears to acknowledge failing Bar exam amid scrutiny over lawyer claims",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-appears-to-acknowledge-failing-bar-exam",
        "published": "2026-10-16T01:02:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
        "title": "New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Defends Her Legal Background and Short First Briefing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/new-white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-defends-her-legal",
        "published": "2026-10-16T01:24:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}