Donald Trump's New Press Secretary's China Connection Is Raising Questions
Judd Legum found no evidence she passed a bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction, while questions persist over her work at a Beijing law firm and Fix California.
- Popular Information reported on Tuesday that researcher Judd Legum found no record of Press Secretary Katie Zacharia being admitted to practice law in any United States jurisdiction after searching all 50 state bar associations and Washington, D.C.
- President Donald Trump appointed Zacharia last week, describing her as an "attorney" in a Truth Social post. Zacharia has repeatedly identified herself as a lawyer during media appearances, citing her past work in China as professional evidence.
- Records indicate foreign nationals are ineligible to take the bar exam in China, and practicing as a "Foreign Representative Attorney" requires two years of prior home-country experience—a requirement Zacharia lacked when joining the Beijing-headquartered Zhong Lun Law Firm shortly after graduating in 2011.
- When reporters pressed her, Zacharia claimed she passed a bar exam "when I moved to China" but declined to identify the jurisdiction. The White House Press Office declined to provide details, referring inquiries to President Donald Trump's Truth Social post.
- Zacharia previously served as "General Counsel" for the California-based nonprofit Fix California from January 2024 to March 2025. Under California law, holding oneself out as an attorney without being licensed to practice is a crime, raising potential legal questions about her past role.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Although Katie Zakaria, the new White House press secretary, made a spectacular debut in the briefing room on the 13th (local time), suspicions surrounding her background are actually growing. U.S. President Donald Trump introduced Zakaria as a lawyer, but the U.S. media pointed out that it is unclear even where she obtained her legal license. Previously, on the 9th, President Trump appointed Zakaria as the new White House press secretary...
Donald Trump's New Press Secretary's China Connection Is Raising Questions
Public records searches have yet to locate an attorney registration for Katie Zacharia in New York, Washington, California, Texas, or Florida. The findings have raised questions about Donald Trump’s new press secretary’s professional credentials, although they do not establish whether she passed a bar examination. Katie Zacharia says she passed her exam in China Katie […]
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