Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted Oct. 16, Axios reported, a day after she discussed her failed California bar exam with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
In an Oct. 15 Fox News interview, Hannity asked why she had not described herself as a Pepperdine law graduate who chose a different career path. Zacharia said she had expected to move to China and had consulted legal professionals about calling herself a lawyer. Asked whether she had taken the exam again, she replied, “I did not.”
In a separate Oct. 15 interview with Jack Posobiec, Zacharia described the exam result as “somewhat inconsequential” because she had expected to move to China.
President Donald Trump called Zacharia “an attorney” in his Oct. 9 post announcing her appointment. Pepperdine University lists her as a 2007 graduate and a 2011 Juris Doctor graduate of its Caruso School of Law. The State Bar of California says admission to practice in the state requires passing the California Bar Examination, along with other requirements.
The credentials dispute had also prompted a watchdog request for the State Bar to review Zacharia’s public claims, as EconoTimes previously reported. Journalist Aaron Rupar remarked on Hannity’s questioning on X, while The Bulwark’s Will Sommer said it was unusually tough for an interview with a Republican.
On Oct. 16, Trump said he had advised Zacharia to reconsider her job and planned to speak with her after weekend travel. Axios reported, citing two senior administration officials, that she was ousted that day; ABC News said a senior White House official and other sources described her as transitioning out. Neither outlet named a successor.
