On Oct. 9, President Trump announced Katie Zacharia as the successor to Karoline Leavitt. This announcement came after Leavitt left the role in Aug., stating it was to spend more time with her children after the birth of her second child. On Oct. 16, Zacharia was removed from this position.
Zacharia is a 41-year-old from Huntington Beach, California, and the mother of four. From 2011 to 2013, her LinkedIn listed her as an associate on the international practice team at the Chinese law firm Zhong Lun, after she received her law degree from Pepperdine in 2011. She went on to build a career as a commentator on Fox News and Newsmax, describing herself as a lawyer.
Earlier in 2026, prior to her role as press secretary, Zacharia spent about two months as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson under Kristi Noem. Most recently, she was a senior communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group.
The Brief reign of katie zacharia
Zacharia claims she received a call on Oct. 7, informing her that the White House was hiring. Just two days later, the announcement that she would be assuming the position of White House press secretary was made.
In his announcement, Trump described her as a “devoted fan and member of MAGA.” He went on to say she had “the respect of… the media.” In her own post regarding the position, Zacharia stated that following “the fabulous Karoline Leavitt” was a high standard, but “one worth meeting.”
Oct. 12 was Zacharia’s first official day. She claims she received briefing materials on Columbus Day to complete Tuesday morning. Oct. 13 was her first briefing, which left many scratching their heads. After arriving 14 minutes late, she delivered an eight-minute statement she seemingly struggled to read.
The entire briefing lasted 14 minutes. During those 14 minutes, Zacharia took questions from only three outlets.
On the one policy question she took, she stated she would have to get back to Fox News. She then announced that Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign and shared that Trump plans to step up his midterm campaign appearances.
The final question asked pertained to balancing work and family, to which she replied by beginning her answer with “my president, excuse me, my husband.” She then closed the briefing by saying Trump was heading to Marine One for a trip to Alaska, and reporters could ask him their questions there. The White House website later described Zacharia’s inaugural press briefing as “commanding.”
Lawyer or liar?
On the same day, reporters asked Trump which state Zacharia passed the bar in, since there was no record of her passing in any state. Trump echoed, “Which state?” to which she seemingly replied, “When I moved to China.” This response drew heavy criticism, as it would have been impossible for her to take China’s bar exam. Under Chinese law, a person is required to possess Chinese citizenship in order to take the bar.
On Wednesday, Oct.14, The Wall Street Journal reported that she took and failed the California bar exam after graduating. The watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar, arguing that calling yourself a lawyer without a license in California wasn’t a hyperbolic mistake but a crime.
On Thursday, Oct.15, on Real America’s Voice, Zacharia stated she was too distracted by her impending marriage and move to China in response to criticisms of her failure to pass the bar. She ultimately called the results inconsequential, saying she wouldn’t need the California bar in China. She also argued that, according to “people in the field,” she could call herself a lawyer but not an attorney at law without her license, and claimed she chose not to retake the bar after her return to the U.S. due to the birth of her first child.
Then on Friday, Oct. 16, Trump said Zacharia had been treated poorly by the media, and he didn’t think she needed “this.” While the official statement claimed she was simply transitioning out, Politico reported that Trump had privately complained that she had no talent and shouldn’t be on television. Advisors later told reporters she had been fired.
Regardless, in her farewell post, Zacharia referred to Trump as a “kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man.” She said she wished more Americans appreciated him and that it was an honor to work for him. As of Oct. 23, no successor has been named, but Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly is widely considered the frontrunner.
Was she ever qualified?
Assuming the position of press secretary has no formal requirements. Informally, there is an expectation that the person standing at that podium is a credible source and has meaningful administrative experience. Zacharia seemed to possess neither. So was she ever qualified?
Sarah Huckabee Sanders was promoted from deputy press secretary. Stephanie Grisham had spent years as Melania Trump’s spokesperson. Karoline Leavitt had worked in the first-term press office and as a campaign spokesperson. Zacharia’s government experience amounted to two months at DHS. While not required for the position, her inexperience at the podium was glaringly obvious at Tuesday’s briefing.
Even if Zacharia were qualified based on her previous occupations, there’s the credibility problem. She called herself a lawyer for years, and even placed it in her Instagram biography, without ever passing the bar. Zacharia has argued she was careful to call herself a “lawyer” rather than an “attorney,” and she did work at a major Beijing firm. But by definition, someone who hasn’t passed the bar and been licensed is not a lawyer. Worse, when questioned, she didn’t come clean. She first pointed to a Chinese bar exam she couldn’t have taken, and only admitted to failing the California bar after the Wall Street Journal reported it.
A press secretary’s only real asset is being believed, and she didn’t survive the first week. The briefing showed she wasn’t ready, but the credentials controversy is what made her unrecoverable.