Zacharia says bar exam result was not important
SingTao · 2 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said she did not pass the California bar exam after days of scrutiny over whether she was qualified to describe herself as a lawyer. She said the exam result was not important because she did not need to be licensed while living in China, where she later worked in the international business department of a Chinese law firm.
Key Points
- US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social last week that Zacharia would become White House press secretary and described her as a lawyer.
- During a White House media exchange on Monday, Trump asked Zacharia where she had passed the bar, and she replied: “When I moved to China,” prompting further questions.
- Zacharia later told The New York Times on Wednesday that she had misheard the question over the noise of Marine One and thought she was being asked where she went after law school.
- The Wall Street Journal reported she graduated from Pepperdine University law school, took the California bar exam and did not pass before moving to China to join her husband abroad.
- Zacharia said on Thursday to Real America’s Voice that the bar result was “not important” because she did not need a practising licence in China and only called herself a lawyer, not an attorney at law.
Why It Matters
The dispute goes beyond biography because it affects the credibility of a newly installed White House spokesperson whose public role depends on precision and trust. For Hong Kong readers, the episode also draws attention to the distinction between holding a law degree and being licensed to practise across different jurisdictions, including China and the United States.