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Katie Zacharia has been fired as White House press secretary after five days on the job, following criticism of her first briefing and scrutiny of her legal credentials.
Zacharia failed the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011 and never retook it. During a Thursday (October 15) interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, she defended describing herself as a lawyer, citing her education and professional experience.
“I consulted attorneys and legal professionals as to whether or not they agreed that I could be labeled a lawyer,” Zacharia told Hannity, explaining that she held a law degree and had worked at a Chinese law firm on cross-border transactions and shareholder agreements.
She also addressed social media posts identifying her as an attorney, saying they were retweets and that she had corrected the record.
Zacharia’s legal credentials came under scrutiny as she faced criticism of her first White House press briefing Tuesday (October 13), which lasted less than 15 minutes and included questions from only three reporters.
Zacharia began the job Monday (October 12), replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the position in August. The New York Times reported that Zacharia was fired Friday (October 16), citing three people familiar with the matter.
CNN reported that President Donald Trump’s initial positive reaction to her first briefing shifted after conversations with advisers and allies. One person familiar with his comments said Trump questioned whether Zacharia was “ready for prime time.”
Trump publicly suggested she reconsider the position Friday, telling reporters, “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider.”
The White House has not announced who will replace Zacharia.
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