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The White House defended its new press secretary Katie Zacharia on October 15 2026 amid mounting scrutiny of her legal credentials with communications director Steven Cheung describing her as uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people according to a Reuters report. Zacharia who assumed the role on October 9 after President Donald Trump named her successor to Karoline Leavitt has faced questions since her first briefing drew criticism for its brevity and limited engagement with reporters. Trump himself pushed back against the negative reviews telling reporters that he thought she did very good even as the controversy over her professional background intensified in the run-up to November midterm elections.
Zacharia a 41-year-old California native graduated from Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a law degree in 2011 according to the institution and her LinkedIn profile detailed in CNN reporting. When reporters asked her on October 13 which state she had passed the bar exam in while she stood alongside Trump she responded that it was when she moved to China a reply that prompted further examination of her credentials a USA Today assessment found. Georgetown University law professor Mark Jia told outlets that foreign nationals are not eligible to sit for the Chinese bar exam and generally cannot qualify as Chinese lawyers adding another layer to the questions surrounding her international work experience.
Searches of bar records in all 50 states and Washington D.C. turned up no evidence that Zacharia has ever been licensed to practice law in the United States according to an investigation by Popular Information cited across Reuters CNN and the Los Angeles Times. The State Bar of California confirmed it has no record of her or her maiden name Kate Sharon Black being licensed despite her living and working in the state a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle noted. Public records also showed no law license issued in Texas or the District of Columbia where she has held various positions in recent years.
According to her professional profile Zacharia worked as an associate on the international practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013 and later served as general counsel for the advocacy group Fix California from 2024 to 2025 a role that Trump ally Ric Grenell described as involving senior advisory duties rather than direct legal practice in a text message reported by Reuters. Zacharia said in a statement this week that she practiced international transaction law with all the appropriate credentials while a White House official added that she moved to China with her husband after law school for his job at an American private equity firm. The Zhong Lun firm did not respond to requests for comment from multiple news organizations.
A watchdog group called Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association on October 14 seeking an investigation into whether Zacharia repeatedly held herself out as entitled to practice law without a license which the state treats as a crime the Los Angeles Times reported. The New York Times quoted Zacharia as saying she had consulted Pepperdine on how to identify herself when she first began appearing as a commentator on cable news where she was often introduced as a lawyer. Her Instagram profile continues to describe her as a lawyer alongside her new title as White House press secretary.
Zacharia’s debut briefing on October 13 lasted less than 15 minutes and drew harsh reviews from some media commentators and former White House officials for its handling of questions though Trump later praised her performance a Mediaite report noted. The episode has drawn parallels to past controversies over political appointees’ qualifications but the administration has stood firmly behind her as she prepares to navigate the high-stakes period ahead of the midterms according to coverage in the Chicago Tribune. No additional details on potential further investigations had emerged by Wednesday evening.
