White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has said she did not pass the bar exam, responding to scrutiny of her legal career before she became the chief spokeswoman for US President Donald Trump. Zacharia joined the White House on Monday and replaced Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August.
Zacharia has previously said she practised law before entering politics, and Trump has also described her as an attorney. She made the admission during an interview on Fox News’ Hannity programme late on Thursday.
Admission during Fox News interview with Hannity
Asked whether she had failed to pass the exam, she replied, “Correct.” When host Sean Hannity asked if she had ever sat the test a second time, she answered, “I did not.”
According to Pepperdine University, Zacharia earned her law degree there in 2011. Nearly all licensed US lawyers first obtain a law degree, but graduates cannot practise law in the US until they are admitted to a state bar.
California bar records and reports on her licence
California’s State Bar confirmed it held no licensing record for her under either her married or maiden name. The Wall Street Journal reported that she had failed the California bar exam.
Zacharia previously worked at a law firm in Beijing. Foreign nationals cannot take China’s bar exam, although certain legal work is permitted at Chinese law firms.
First briefing draws criticism and praise from Trump
During her first briefing on Tuesday, she took questions from just three reporters before ending the event in under 15 minutes. Some media commentators and political analysts criticised her performance, but Trump told reporters, “I thought she was very good.”
Asked about her performance by Hannity, Zacharia said she had “really stepped up to the plate” to hold the press conference with very little preparation time.
