Trump’s New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Faces Legal Complaint After Calling Herself a «Lawyer» Despite Failed Bar Exam

Donald Trump's newly appointed White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing a formal complaint over her repeated claims of being a lawyer, following revelations that she reportedly failed the California bar exam and was never admitted to practice law in the United States. On October 14, the nonprofit watchdog Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, requesting an investigation into whether Zacharia violated state law by publicly presenting herself as a legal professional without holding the necessary license. The complaint came as The Wall Street Journal reported that Zacharia had taken the California bar exam in 2011, shortly after graduating from Pepperdine University's law school, but failed to pass. According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter cited by the newspaper, she took the examination while preparing for her wedding and an impending move to China. Despite that reported failure, Zacharia subsequently built a public profile that frequently emphasized her legal background, raising questions about the professional credentials of the woman Trump selected to become one of his administration's most prominent public representatives. The complaint requests an investigation, but no violation of the law has been established.

The controversy is particularly striking because Zacharia had repeatedly been publicly identified as a lawyer before her appointment, including during television appearances on conservative networks. According to Campaign for Accountability, she was described on screen as a lawyer during at least 18 appearances on Fox News beginning in March 2025. She also personally embraced the designation, declaring «I'm a lawyer» during an October 5 appearance on The Greg Kelly Show. Her Instagram biography similarly described her as «Wife, Mom, & Lawyer», while other professional profiles highlighted her experience in international corporate law and legal advisory positions. Trump reinforced those credentials when announcing her appointment on Truth Social on October 9, describing her 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 Newsmax.» The President also praised her political loyalty, writing, «She 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!» Although Pepperdine has confirmed Zacharia earned her law degree in 2011, graduating from law school does not automatically authorize someone to practice law or represent themselves as a licensed attorney.

Questions about Zacharia's qualifications intensified on October 13, shortly after she delivered her first White House press briefing as Karoline Leavitt's replacement. As Trump prepared to board Marine One, a reporter directly challenged the administration's description of its new spokesperson, asking, «What state did she pass the bar exam in?» The reporter then clarified the question, saying, «She said she's an attorney», before pressing again for the state in which Zacharia had qualified. Rather than answering himself, Trump stepped aside and allowed his new press secretary to respond. Over the sound of the presidential helicopter, Zacharia appeared to say, «When I moved to China.» The exchange immediately attracted attention because she had not identified any American jurisdiction in which she held a license, while China generally restricts its national legal qualification examination to Chinese citizens. Zacharia subsequently disputed the interpretation of her answer, explaining, «I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?'» She added, «That's all I could hear over the sound of Marine One.» Her explanation suggested that she had been referring to her professional move to Beijing rather than claiming to have passed a Chinese bar examination, but it did not resolve the questions surrounding her American legal credentials.

The questions surrounding Zacharia's professional standing have been reinforced by official licensing records and independent investigations into her background. Rick Coca, a spokesperson for the State Bar of California, confirmed that the agency has «no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black» or other variations of her married and maiden names «having been licensed to practice law in California.» Similar searches conducted by Reuters, The Washington Post and the independent publication Popular Information found no record of her admission to practice law in any American state or Washington, D.C. The findings prompted Campaign for Accountability Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith to challenge the accuracy of Zacharia's public representations. «In California, calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn't puffery; it's a crime. The State Bar should investigate whether Ms. Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials and hold her accountable if she has,» Kuppersmith said. Under California law, individuals who are not licensed or otherwise legally authorized to practice cannot present themselves as entitled to practice law in the state. However, whether Zacharia's specific statements constitute a violation remains a question for regulators to examine. The State Bar has declined to confirm whether it received the complaint or opened an investigation, citing confidentiality requirements.

As scrutiny expanded beyond her public statements, Zacharia defended her professional experience while additional questions emerged about the positions she previously held. «I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,» she said in a statement provided to reporters, without identifying a jurisdiction in which she had been admitted to practice. According to her professional biography, she worked on the international practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing between 2011 and 2013, shortly after receiving her law degree. Chinese regulations generally reserve admission to the country's legal profession for Chinese nationals, although foreign employees can perform certain consulting and advisory functions without qualifying as locally licensed attorneys. Zacharia also served as general counsel for Fix California, a political advocacy organization founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell, between 2024 and 2025. Asked about her responsibilities, Grenell told Reuters that she was «a senior adviser, who did a lot of different roles,» including «leading the outside counsel, who were our lawyers.» His description suggested that her responsibilities included coordinating the work of licensed attorneys, although it did not establish that she personally held a law license. The distinction between providing legal-related assistance and being authorized to practice law has become central to the dispute over her professional history.

The White House has continued to defend Zacharia's appointment despite the questions raised about her credentials, with communications director Steven Cheung emphasizing her suitability for the administration's principal spokesperson role. Cheung described her as «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 secretary.» Following the filing of the complaint, however, Cheung adopted a considerably more confrontational tone toward Campaign for Accountability, writing on X: «This group that filed the “complaint” is a radical leftist-organization run by rabid numbskulls suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Nobody takes them seriously because they are deranged low lifes.» His statement attacked the organization without directly addressing the underlying licensing questions. Trump, meanwhile, publicly supported Zacharia following her first White House briefing, telling reporters, «I thought she was very good.» The controversy comes as she assumes one of the administration's most visible communications positions ahead of the November midterm elections. While a law license is not required to serve as White House press secretary, the dispute has raised a separate question about the accuracy of the professional qualifications repeatedly associated with her name. For now, the complaint remains a request for regulatory scrutiny, and no finding of unlawful conduct has been announced.

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