Katie Zacharia Claims She Misheard Question After Saying She Passed the Bar Exam When She 'Moved to China' as Her Law Credentials Are Questioned

Newly minted White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia claimed she misheard a reporter's question after a viral exchange in which she said she passed the bar exam in China.

The comment has triggered intense scrutiny over her legal credentials, as multiple reports indicate she is not a licensed attorney in the United States.

During an exchange with reporters on the White House South Lawn, President Donald Trump turned to Zacharia and asked which state's bar exam she had passed. Zacharia responded, "When I moved to China.”

She later told The New York Times that she couldn't hear over the roar of Marine One and assumed the reporter asked, "Where were you after law school?" Zacharia explained that after graduating from Pepperdine University's Caruso School of Law in 2011, she moved to Beijing to work as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm. A source told the Times she was merely an intern there.

Independent investigations by media outlets and newsletters have revealed significant discrepancies regarding her professional titles.

A report by The Wall Street Journal revealed Zacharia took the California bar exam in 2011 but failed. Records show she never retook the exam or was admitted to practice law in any U.S. state or in Washington, D.C.

Although Trump introduced her as an "attorney" and Zacharia has frequently called herself a "lawyer" during media appearances, legal experts note that an individual cannot hold themselves out as an attorney without being actively admitted to a state bar.

The non-profit watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed an official complaint with the State Bar of California. The group is requesting an investigation into whether Zacharia violated state regulations against the unauthorized practice of law by repeatedly claiming to be a lawyer.

The White House has backed Zacharia, saying she had the credentials — her law degree — to work on international transaction law while in China.

Not everyone is buying the 41-year-old mother-of-four’s claims, however, expressing deep skepticism over her "misheard" explanation, pointing out that foreign nationals cannot take the national legal exam or practice law within China's domestic system.

On her platform, NewsNation’s conservative host Katie Pavlich directly accused Zacharia of falsifying her professional history to secure her appointment, saying, "Lying to the President of the United States about your resume to land a job is a big deal."

She further elaborated on X that while failing the bar exam is normal, "What is not normal is failing the exam and then lying for years about being a lawyer or attorney to get on television.”