OCTOBER 16, 2026 14:50

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed during a Thursday evening interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that she had not passed the California bar exam. This marked her first direct acknowledgment following recent questions about her qualifications.

Her background faced examination after The Washington Post disclosed that Zacharia never passed the bar exam in California, Texas, or Washington DC, meaning she holds no license to practice law and therefore cannot be considered an attorney or lawyer.

Checks of attorney registries in those jurisdictions under both her current and former names turned up no records of her registration.

The Jerusalem Post noted that her LinkedIn profile lists a Juris Doctor degree yet provides no indication of bar admission or active legal practice.

"You attended Pepperdine Law School but did not pass the bar exam, correct?" Hannity inquired.

"Correct," Zacharia replied, openly stating she holds no license to practice law.

Lawyer versus attorney distinction under scrutiny

Hannity pressed further, asking whether she had received advice that using the term lawyer was acceptable while attorney was not, and Zacharia agreed that this matched the guidance she received.

"Reports show fifteen social media posts in which you referred to yourself as an attorney," Hannity stated. Zacharia dismissed the examples as mere retweets and noted she had since corrected any mislabeling without endorsing the title.

Although Zacharia never practiced law in the United States, The Post discovered she served as an associate on the international team at the Chinese firm Zhong Lun between 2011 and 2013. Because she was not a Chinese citizen, she would have been ineligible to sit for the bar exam there.

"Why engage in this extended debate over the difference between lawyer and attorney when most people see little distinction?" Hannity asked.

"Before entering media work I sought advice from legal experts on whether I could be described as a lawyer," Zacharia explained. "I was not offering legal counsel but rather providing general commentary on surrounding legal issues."

Trump referred to Zacharia as an attorney in her appointment announcement

Despite her statements that she avoids the title of attorney, President Donald Trump explicitly described her as such when announcing her new position.

"Katie is 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," Trump posted on Truth Social last week.

Following Zacharia's initial press briefing on Tuesday, journalists sought additional clarification on her credentials from both her and the president.

The White House has not yet confirmed whether she possesses an active law license.