Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inOwen ScottFriday 16 October 2026 13:03 BST‘Absolutely, absolutely across the board you can call yourself a lawyer,’ Zacharia claims she was told (Getty)White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia defended her decision to call herself a lawyer despite failing the bar exam, calling the test results inconsequential.Zacharia explained that she did not need to pass the bar exam because she moved to China shortly after law school to work for an international law firm.She said legal experts advised her that holding a Juris Doctor degree and legal experience allowed her to call herself a lawyer, though not an attorney-at-law.The controversy emerged after Zacharia was described as a lawyer during multiple Fox News appearances and as an attorney by President Trump on Truth Social.White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia, calling her uniquely qualified and whip-smart for her role as Press Secretary.In fullKatie Zacharia says failing the bar exam was ‘inconsequential’ in describing herself as lawyerMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in