Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
Introduced by Donald Trump as a "lawyer" upon his nomination, the new White House spokeswoman, Katie Zacharia, has never passed the bar exam in the United States, despite having publicly qualified as such several times. The Wall Street Journal revealed this, according to which Zacharia, who graduated from Pepperdine University Law School in 2011, unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a bar exam in California before moving to China with her husband.
Her name is not listed on the rolls of attorneys in California, Texas, or Washington, DC, either under her maiden name or her married name.
After moving to Beijing, Zacharia worked at the prestigious Chinese law firm Zhong Lun, handling international transactions and multimillion-dollar deals for US and multinational companies. According to a source cited by the newspaper, these duties did not require a bar license, as the foreign associates acted as international legal advisors.
Asked on Tuesday which U.S. state had licensed her, the spokeswoman replied only, “When I moved to China,” before clarifying shortly thereafter, “I practiced in the field of international transactions law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
The affair has also raised questions because Zacharia, who served as chief legal officer for the conservative organization Fix California between January 2024 and March 2025, has repeatedly introduced herself as a lawyer during her television appearances, beginning many of her remarks with the preface: “As a lawyer…”.
In the United States, practicing law generally requires a license, and qualifying as a lawyer without one can lead to criminal penalties in some states. The White House defended Zacharia, calling her "extremely qualified," and clarified that Trump did not hire her to handle legal matters.
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