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Donald Trump's New Press Secretary's China Connection Is Raising Questions
Popular Information found no record of a U.S. bar exam pass for Katie Zacharia, raising new questions about her legal credentials and China work history.
- Popular Information reported on Tuesday that researcher Judd Legum found no record of Press Secretary Katie Zacharia being admitted to practice law in any United States jurisdiction after searching all 50 state bar associations and Washington, D.C.
- President Donald Trump appointed Zacharia last week, describing her as an "attorney" in a Truth Social post. Zacharia has repeatedly identified herself as a lawyer during media appearances, citing her past work in China as professional evidence.
- Records indicate foreign nationals are ineligible to take the bar exam in China, and practicing as a "Foreign Representative Attorney" requires two years of prior home-country experience—a requirement Zacharia lacked when joining the Beijing-headquartered Zhong Lun Law Firm shortly after graduating in 2011.
- When reporters pressed her, Zacharia claimed she passed a bar exam "when I moved to China" but declined to identify the jurisdiction. The White House Press Office declined to provide details, referring inquiries to President Donald Trump's Truth Social post.
- Zacharia previously served as "General Counsel" for the California-based nonprofit Fix California from January 2024 to March 2025. Under California law, holding oneself out as an attorney without being licensed to practice is a crime, raising potential legal questions about her past role.
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Donald Trump's New Press Secretary's China Connection Is Raising Questions
Public records searches have yet to locate an attorney registration for Katie Zacharia in New York, Washington, California, Texas, or Florida. The findings have raised questions about Donald Trump’s new press secretary’s professional credentials, although they do not establish whether she passed a bar examination. Katie Zacharia says she passed her exam in China Katie […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left6Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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