New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's legal career draws scrutiny

The new ‌White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, faced questions on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) about her legal career ​before becoming the top spokeswoman for U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ms. Zacharia, who joined ⁠the White House on Monday (October 12), has said she practised law before entering politics. Mr. Trump has described her as an attorney.

But Reuters could not find records showing Ms. Zacharia was registered as an attorney or member of the ‌bar in any U.S. State or the District of Columbia.

The questions about Ms. Zacharia’s credentials come as she takes the podium just three weeks before November’s midterm elections, a ‌critical period when the President is seeking to tout his administration’s accomplishments and help ‌her fellow Republicans retain control of Congress.

Ms.. Zacharia was an associate at Zhong Lun Law ⁠Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013 and general counsel at Fix California, an advocacy group founded by Mr. Trump’s ally Ric Grenell, from 2024 to 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In a text message, Mr. Grenell said Ms. Zacharia was “a senior adviser, ​who did a lot of different ‌roles,” including “leading the outside counsel, who were our lawyers.”

Zhong Lun did not respond to emailed requests for comment. The White House did not respond to questions about Ms. Zacharia’s legal background or credentials.

“I practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” Ms. Zacharia said in an emailed ‌statement on Wednesday (October 14).

Mr. Trump hired Ms. Zacharia after expressing concerns about the media coverage of his administration, ​feeling he needed a new spokesperson who could amplify his achievements, according to two people familiar with the conversations. She replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the ⁠White House in August.

The timing of Ms. Zacharia’s hiring so close to the midterms caught some White House staff by surprise, one official said.

On Tuesday (October 13), during her first briefing, she took questions from ‌just three reporters before ending the event in under 15 minutes. Her performance was criticised by some media commentators and political analysts, though Mr. Trump told reporters: “I thought she was very good.”

According to the university, Ms Zacharia earned her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011. Nearly all licensed U.S. lawyers first obtain a law degree, but law school graduates cannot legally practice law in the U.S. without first being admitted to a state bar.

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday (October 13) where she ‌had passed the bar exam, Ms. Zacharia said, “when I moved to China.”

In China, the law requires practicing lawyers to ​be Chinese nationals. Foreign staff can advise and consult on legal matters but not practice law.

Renee Knake Jefferson, a University of Houston law professor and legal ethics expert, ⁠said the debate over Ms. Zacharia’s status is a “fundamental matter of public trust” that goes beyond “professional semantics.”

“Of ⁠course it goes without saying that one needn’t be a lawyer to serve as the White House press secretary,” Ms. Jefferson said. “The public is entitled to accurate information about whether ‌a government official is claiming to hold a professional role that they do not, which is what has been alleged here.”