Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House press secretary, is standing by her legal credentials despite not passing the bar exam. In an exclusive interview with the conservative outlet Human Events, Zacharia explained that she was preparing to take the California bar exam when she got married and planned to move to China with her husband, who worked in private equity in Beijing.
Zacharia emphasized that her bar exam results were of little consequence as she did not require a law license while living in China. Addressing concerns about her self-identification as a “lawyer,” Zacharia clarified that she sought advice from legal experts to ensure the accuracy of using that title for legal analysis.
She affirmed that she would refrain from commenting on legal matters in her role at the White House. Zacharia also discussed her initial experiences as press secretary, including her brief first press briefing, where she intentionally kept it short to allow President Donald Trump to address journalists later that morning.
Preparation for the briefing was rushed, with Zacharia receiving briefing materials on Monday evening and finalizing them on Tuesday at 8 a.m., just before facing the press. Despite the time constraints, Zacharia expressed determination in delivering the briefing effectively.
Zacharia disclosed how she landed the press secretary role, emphasizing that she did not actively lobby for it. Instead, she closely monitored the president’s social media activity to gauge his priorities and strategically positioned herself in media appearances to align with those topics. She highlighted her approach of auditioning for the job through her public presence rather than lobbying for it.
On October 7, while getting ready to take her child to a pumpkin patch, Zacharia received a call from President Trump offering her the press secretary position. She promptly flew to Washington the next day, met with the president, and officially accepted the role on the same day.
