White House press secretary’s legal title claims face scrutiny after bar exam failure
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Katie Zacharia’s use of the title “attorney” in social-media posts is drawing questions after she failed the California bar exam, with critics urging an investigation into whether the public was misled.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been identified in at least 15 social-media posts between April 2025 and September 2026 as an “attorney,” even though she failed the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law in 2011. The posts, shared on X and Truth Social, often boosted Fox News and One America News segments that used the title, and some have since been deleted, underscoring how easily misleading branding can be circulated online.
Zacharia has told interviewers that she was advised to refer to herself as a “lawyer” but not as an “attorney” or “esquire.” She said, "They said absolutely across the board, you can call yourself a lawyer, you have a JD, and, to buffer that, you have international legal experience in transactional law, which gives you the ability to analyze it, not necessarily give advice."
California law requires passing the bar exam to practice in the state and makes it a misdemeanor to misrepresent oneself as a lawyer. The State Bar of California confirmed it has no record of Zacharia being licensed to practice there, though it declined to comment on whether she took the exam. The gap between the legal requirements and the title being promoted has only sharpened scrutiny.
Zacharia has repeatedly referred to herself as a lawyer in media appearances, including on “The Greg Kelly Show” and a Christian podcast in 2023. She explained that she considered the bar exam result “inconsequential” when she moved to Beijing to work for Zhong Lun Law Firm, noting that foreign nationals cannot take China’s bar exam.
When reporters asked President Donald J. Trump about Zacharia’s bar status, she responded that she had taken the exam “when I moved to China,” later saying she had misheard the question. A watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, has requested that the State Bar of California investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented her legal qualifications.
The White House defended Zacharia, with a spokesperson stating she is “uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing.”