Trump’s new Press Secretary Katie Zacharia faces questions over legal credentials

The new White House press secretary is facing mounting questions about her background and resume as she transitions into her role as the public face of the Trump administrationKatie Zacharia has long described herself as a lawyer as she has worked to establish herself as a commentator for conservative outlets like Fox News and Newsmax But so far she and the White House have offered no evidence that she passed the bar exam in any state or in China where she worked for a large law firm years agoThe questions add to the confusion surrounding President Donald Trumps decision to hire Zacharia who had worked for his social media company for only a few months when he announced her appointment and whose debut at the podium on Tuesday has been widely pannedAfterward the president was asked by reporters where Zacharia had passed the bar exam following a report by the independent outlet Popular Information that she did not appear to be licensed in any stateTrump stepped aside to allow Zacharia to answerWhen I moved to China she responded over the sound of Marine One whirring in the background It is not clear what she had intended to say or whether she had finished the sentenceChinas notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizensAsked what credentials she held the White House passed along a statement from Zacharia who received a bachelor of arts degree from Pepperdine University in 2007 and received her law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011 according to the school and her LinkedIn bioI practiced international transaction law with all the appropriate credentials it readSteven Cheung the White House communications director added that Zacharia was uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing and she will do an incredible job as press secretaryA resume under scrutinyAccording to her LinkedIn profile Zacharia has been the senior communications adviser at the Trump Media amp Technology Group since June and spent two months as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security earlier this yearFrom 2011 to 2013 it says she served as an associate on the International Practice Team at the Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing She also worked as the manager of fundraising and communications for Compassion for Migrant Children which assists the children of migrant workers from 2012 to 2013More recently it says she served as general counsel for Fix California a group started by Trump administration official Richard GrenellNeither the firm nor the two groups responded to questions about her tenure and backgroundZacharia has long called herself a lawyer On Instagram she describes herself as the White House press secretary Wife Mom amp Lawyer with four heart emojis after MomAnd her official author page at the California Globe where she wrote occasional commentary says that in addition to being a regular commentator on Fox News Newsmax she has extensive experience in political advocacy international corporate law and nonprofit work including time as outside counsel for the World Bank and IFC in BeijingA June 2026 press release from NovaRed Mining Inc announcing her appointment to the companys advisory board which was first reported by Popular Information said her professional experience includes work related to international legal and financial transactions including matters involving organizations associated with the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation during her tenure with Zhong Lun Law Firm in BeijingIn announcing her hire on his social media site Trump described Zacharia as a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law an attorney and a frequent Commentator on outlets including Fox News and NewsmaxShe has an unblemished record of support and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter right from the beginning She is likewise a devoted fan and member of MAGA he addedNo Record foundZacharia is not listed as a member of the state bar in California where she currently resides according to a public databaseRick Coca a spokesperson for the State Bar of California a regulatory agency that oversees state licensing said in a statement that they have no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black or any version of her married or maiden names having been licensed to practice law in CaliforniaPopular Information said the same was the case in all 50 states they had queried plus Washington DCIn response the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking them to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California lawIn California calling yourself a lawyer without a license isnt puffery its a crime The State Bar should investigate whether Ms Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials and hold her accountable if she has said CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith in a statementThe State Bar said they could not confirm whether they had received the complaint or were conducting an investigation citing confidentiality lawsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever