Image Credit: James S Brady via Wikimedia Commons
The White House’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, was fired on Friday after facing scrutiny over her performance and legal credentials during her five days on the job.
US President Donald Trump hinted at Zacharia’s possible departure during a press conference outside the White House earlier that day, saying he had encouraged her to “reconsider” her position.
“I said: ‘Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don’t need it,’” Trump said.
On Friday evening, Zacharia confirmed that her tenure as press secretary had ended.
“President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him,” Zacharia wrote on X. “It was an honor to work for him.”
Zacharia’s exit comes after her first, and only, press briefing last Tuesday cast doubts about her suitability for the role.
During a brief 14 minutes at the podium, Zacharia took three questions from predominantly conservative media outlets, relied primarily on prepared remarks, and accidentally referred to her husband as “the president.”
Lawyer, attorney, general counsel?
The legitimacy of Zacharia’s legal credentials have also been scrutinised.
In announcing her appointment on Truth Social, Trump had described Zacharia as an “attorney.” Zacharia has also described herself as a lawyer during media appearances and as general counsel for Fix California on LinkedIn.
When asked by a reporter after the Tuesday press briefing where she passed the bar exam, Zacharia responded, “When I moved to China.”
However, foreign nationals are unable to take the national judicial examination in China.
Zacharia explained to the New York Times last Wednesday evening that she had misheard the question.
“I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?,’” Zacharia said.
Zacharia moved to Beijing after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school, and worked as an associate on the international-practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm from 2011 to 2013.
“I practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials," Zacharia said in a statement.
Last Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal also revealed that Zacharia “didn’t appear in searches for licensed attorneys in California, Texas or Washington, D.C”, and didn’t pass the California bar exam.
Questions have been raised about whether Zacharia has illegally misrepresented herself, with US watchdog organisation, the Campaign for Accountability (CfA), filing a complaint with the State Bar of California last Wednesday.
CFA are requesting an investigation into whether Zacharia had "repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practice law without a license to do so, conduct California law treats as a crime.”