Trump's new spokesperson claims China law credential — but foreigners can't sit the bar there

Katie Zacharia, Donald Trump's newly appointed White House press secretary, was drawn into a credentials controversy on her first day after she indicated she had obtained a law license in China — a country where foreign nationals are barred from sitting the bar exam.

The Washington Post reported that Zacharia, after conducting her first official briefing on Tuesday (local time), told reporters who asked where she had obtained her law license that it was in China.

Trump had introduced Zacharia as a lawyer when he announced her appointment. Her LinkedIn profile also lists her as having served as a legal executive at Fix California, a nonprofit organization.

To practice law in the United States, an individual must obtain a license in the relevant state or meet separate legally recognized qualification requirements.

When asked whether Zacharia had ever practiced law in the United States, the White House declined to give a direct answer, saying only that she had moved to China after graduation to follow her husband's posting there and had worked on international transaction law while in the country.

The Post noted that foreign nationals cannot practice law in China, leaving her legal credentials in question.

The Post also raised doubts about her performance as a spokesperson. At her first briefing, she stumbled while reading from a prepared statement and managed to answer only three questions from reporters.

When Fox News asked whether the Trump administration had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, she said she would "get back to them later," offering no clear answer.

The Post noted that the intelligence-sharing question had been a major topic since that morning, making Zacharia's vague response somewhat unusual.

She also made an embarrassing slip while answering a personal question. Asked how she planned to balance work and family life, she said her husband had been in Washington all week to spend time with their children — but used the phrase "my president" instead of "my husband" before catching herself and correcting the error.

CNN also reported that questions are being raised even within the White House about how long Zacharia will be able to hold the position.

One official described her first briefing as "brutal," and there are assessments that her performance will fall short of satisfying Trump.

Some have argued that the appointment and first briefing were arranged so abruptly that she had no time to prepare properly.

According to multiple sources, White House staffers including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were not informed of the decision until Thursday night — just before Trump announced Zacharia's appointment on Friday.

One Trump ally told CNN that she "should have had two weeks of mock press briefings before going on stage."

Trump himself, however, said after the briefing that she had done "a great job."