Trump casts doubt on Zacharia’s future as White House press secretary
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had told new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia to reconsider her role, as questions over her legal credentials continue to mount, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Trump suggested that the spokesperson position may not be the right fit for Zacharia, who took up the post earlier this week.
His remarks came the same day Zacharia addressed the controversy surrounding her law career, saying the president had not asked whether she passed the bar exam when he appointed her. She noted that she was hired as press secretary rather than White House counsel, and that her job is to represent the president before the press.
"I think you should reconsider because I think the press has been really unfair." President Donald Trump defends White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia from media criticism and gives her options about her future. https://t.co/fejwQSUSVq
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) October 16, 2026
Zacharia has drawn scrutiny since stepping into the role, particularly over her claims of being a lawyer, amid reports that she is not licensed to practice law in any U.S. state. The Campaign for Accountability, a watchdog group, has filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, asking it to investigate her claim.
Michelle Kuppersmith, the group’s executive director, said in a statement that Zacharia had repeatedly presented herself as a lawyer to strengthen her reputation and credibility, first as a television legal commentator and now as the White House spokesperson, adding that the claim appeared to be false.
When reporters pressed her at a briefing on where she had passed the bar exam, Zacharia said it was when she moved to China. On Thursday, she played down the significance of the test results.
Trump had described Zacharia as an attorney in the Truth Social post announcing her appointment.
Zacharia holds a law degree from Pepperdine University. She previously worked as a communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, and served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.
She held her first press briefing on Tuesday, a 14-minute session in which she answered three questions and announced the resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Zacharia was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Karoline Leavitt, who departed the administration earlier this year.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Donald Trump has chosen commentator Katie Zacharia to serve as the next White House press secretary.