Katie Zacharia, new White House press secretary, says briefing frequency is 'unknown'
Katie Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt as Donald Trump's White House press secretary, said it is "unknown" how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings, adding that Trump "is his best spokesperson, and I will interact as needed".
Katie Zacharia, new White House press secretary, says briefing frequency is 'unknown'
A fast-track appointment
The new Donald Trump press secretary's move from Los Angeles to the briefing room podium took less than a week. On 7 October, a White House official called Katie Zacharia and asked her to travel from Los Angeles to Washington; she declined to name who made the call. She flew the next day, met officials on the Friday and was offered the job that same day, accepting on the spot.
"I flew home, packed two bags, said hi to my kids and husband and dogs."
- She returned to Washington on Sunday, ahead of her first day on Monday
- Just six days after the call, she stepped behind the podium for her first briefing, which was widely panned
- She said the briefing was something she was "asked to do" on her second day
Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt as the president's chief spokesperson, said she had monitored Trump's social media posts and appeared on conservative talkshows to "audition" because she "did not want to be seen lobbying" for the role. She declined to comment on what reasons the White House gave for offering her the position.
Briefings on her own terms
How often she will face reporters is an open question. Zacharia said the press briefings schedule was "unknown at this time", and framed her role around the president rather than the podium, saying Trump "is his best spokesperson, and I will interact as needed". She added that she follows "the president's lead".
She had earlier said it is "unknown" how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings, a framing that shapes what press secretary media access will look like under her.
The bar exam question
At her Tuesday debut, reporters asked Zacharia which state she passed the bar exam in, and she replied "When I moved to China". She later told the New York Times she had "misheard" the question over the sound of Marine One, and she did not confirm whether she passed the bar.
Her LinkedIn says she graduated from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011 and was an associate at the Beijing firm Zhong Lun from 2011 to 2013. The Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter, reported she failed the California bar exam after graduating, and the State Bar of California said it had no record of her being licensed in the state under her married name or her maiden name, Katie Black. Trump has nonetheless referred to her as an "attorney".
In a Human Events interview with Jack Posobiec, Zacharia acknowledged she did not pass the California bar, saying she had been "distracted and overwhelmed and excited" to join her new husband in China after a long-distance relationship of more than a year.
A person familiar with the matter said Zacharia "stands by" referring to herself as a lawyer, calling it a "valid title" given her law degree and "international transactional law experience". The same source said she had "never given legal advice", just "legal analysis", after consulting with other legal professionals.
Complaint and next steps
The Campaign for Accountability asked the State Bar of California on Wednesday to investigate whether Zacharia misled the public and potentially violated state law by describing herself as a lawyer. The complaint lands alongside further questions about her record.
Wired reported Thursday that during a 10-year LinkedIn gap she worked as an "affiliate marketer" for Beachbody, a multi-level marketing company she called "sort of a pyramid scheme". She later claims to have served as "general counsel" for Fix California, founded by Richard Grenell, special presidential envoy for special missions.
The Guardian approached both Zhong Lun and Fix California seeking additional details about her legal roles there. Her briefing schedule, meanwhile, remains undecided.
