Kathy Zachariah explained her remarks about legal education
16 october 2026 в 05:28
The new White House press secretary, Katie Zachariah, is trying to clarify the situation after she stated that she passed the bar exam when she moved to China. In an interview with The New York Times on October 14, she noted that she misunderstood the question she was asked and that it was only her second day in the new position.
White House representative Stephen Chong supported Zachariah, calling her a «fantastic and wonderful addition to the team». He emphasized that she has the unique qualifications and intellect to inform Americans about the achievements of the Trump administration.
Earlier this week, Zachariah described herself as a lawyer, while the president referred to her as a «legal expert». When asked in which state she passed the bar exam, she twice responded, «When I moved to China». However, according to several reports, Zachariah did not pass the bar exam in California after obtaining her law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. The New York Times and CNN were unable to find any information regarding her having a license to practice law in California or in other U.S. states.
Her LinkedIn page states that she worked as an «associate attorney» in the international practice of the law firm Zhong Lun in Beijing for nearly two years, starting in 2011. She also mentions that she is the «chief counsel» for the activist group Fix California. A representative from the California State Bar Association told CNN that they have no records indicating that Katie Zachariah or her maiden name, Kate Sharon Black, ever held a license to practice law in California.
Additionally, Zachariah faced criticism after her first press conference at the White House, which lasted 14 minutes and during which she only answered questions from three media outlets before concluding the briefing as Trump was preparing to depart for Alaska. In her statement, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve President Trump and promised to actively promote his successful agenda.
White House representative Stephen Chong supported Zachariah, calling her a «fantastic and wonderful addition to the team». He emphasized that she has the unique qualifications and intellect to inform Americans about the achievements of the Trump administration.
Earlier this week, Zachariah described herself as a lawyer, while the president referred to her as a «legal expert». When asked in which state she passed the bar exam, she twice responded, «When I moved to China». However, according to several reports, Zachariah did not pass the bar exam in California after obtaining her law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. The New York Times and CNN were unable to find any information regarding her having a license to practice law in California or in other U.S. states.
Her LinkedIn page states that she worked as an «associate attorney» in the international practice of the law firm Zhong Lun in Beijing for nearly two years, starting in 2011. She also mentions that she is the «chief counsel» for the activist group Fix California. A representative from the California State Bar Association told CNN that they have no records indicating that Katie Zachariah or her maiden name, Kate Sharon Black, ever held a license to practice law in California.
Additionally, Zachariah faced criticism after her first press conference at the White House, which lasted 14 minutes and during which she only answered questions from three media outlets before concluding the briefing as Trump was preparing to depart for Alaska. In her statement, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve President Trump and promised to actively promote his successful agenda.
© Artemenko Olga
