White House defends new press secretary Katie Zacharia amid bar exam questions

Katie Zacharia, a former Fox News and Newsmax commentator, debuted as White House press secretary on Tuesday. When a reporter shouted a question asking in which state she passed the bar exam, Zacharia replied, "When I moved to China." The exchange raised immediate questions about whether she is licensed to practice law in any U.S. state, despite being presented as an attorney by President Trump and in her own media appearances.

The White House pushed back on Wednesday. Communications director Steven Cheung stated that Zacharia is "exceptionally qualified and extremely intelligent" to inform the American people. He did not address the specific question of bar admission.

“When I moved to China.”

In an interview with the New York Times, Zacharia attributed her Tuesday answer to a misunderstanding caused by the noise of the Marine One helicopter. She said she thought the reporter was asking where she had been after law school, not where she passed the bar. She also said she had consulted Pepperdine University, her alma mater, on how to present herself professionally when she began appearing on television.

According to EldiarioAR, there is no public record of Zacharia's admission to any state bar association. The outlet notes that in the United States, a law degree alone is insufficient to practice law; passing a state bar exam is required. O Globo reports that Zacharia maintains she practiced law in international transactions with all appropriate credentials.