The White House's new press secretary admits that she did not pass the Bar exam

Katie Zacharia, the White House’s new press secretary, acknowledged on Thursday that she did not pass the bar exam and did not take the test a second time. The statement was made in an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity” after her professional experience in the legal field was called into question.

Asked directly by host Sean Hannity whether she had failed the bar exam, Zacharia answered affirmatively. She also confirmed that she had not tried to take the exam again.

Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011. In the United States, graduating from law school is not enough to practice law: candidates must be admitted to a bar. Previously, Zacharia had stated that she practiced law before entering politics, and President Donald Trump had described her as a lawyer.

The controversy arose after her first press briefing at the White House, held on Tuesday. The event lasted less than 15 minutes, and the press secretary answered questions from only three journalists. Her performance was criticized by analysts and commentators, but Trump said he thought it was “very good.” Zacharia said that she had little time to prepare before the briefing.