# White House defends press secretary over bar exam claims

> Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny after saying she passed the bar exam in China, where foreign lawyers cannot be licensed.
- Title: White House defends press secretary over bar exam claims
- Summary: Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny after saying she passed the bar exam in China, where foreign lawyers cannot be licensed. New White House press secretary Katie…
- Keywords: katie zacharia, white house, press secretary, bar exam, legal credentials, donald trump, news, world, White, House, defends, press
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckqxne2evqreo
- Published: 2026-10-15T03:03:16.957+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: katie zacharia, white house, press secretary, bar exam, legal credentials, donald trump, news, world
## Trump appoints Zacharia as press secretary
President Donald Trump announced Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary last week, describing her as an attorney. She has referred to herself as a lawyer.
## She claims she passed bar exam in China
When asked on Tuesday which state she passed the bar exam in, Zacharia said standing alongside the president: When I moved to China. She does not appear registered to any state bar.

> When I moved to China.
## China does not license foreign lawyers
Zacharia moved to Beijing in two thousand eleven because of her husband's job at an American private equity firm. In China, only Chinese citizens are eligible to obtain a licence to practise law.
## She failed California bar exam
Zacharia graduated from law school at Pepperdine University in California in two thousand eleven. She took the California bar exam after graduating but did not pass, according to the Wall Street Journal.
## Watchdog group files complaint against Zacharia
On Wednesday, Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association seeking an investigation into whether Zacharia repeatedly held herself out as entitled to practise law without a licence.
## Key takeaway

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is under investigation for claiming legal credentials she does not appear to hold, after saying she passed the bar exam in China where foreign nationals cannot be licensed to practise law.