New White House press secretary's rocky debut

Oct 14, 2026

Trump's new press secretary stumbled badly in her first briefing and is now facing questions about whether she ever passed a bar exam — bad news for her and an embarrassment for the White House.

  • Katie Zakaria was picked days earlier, reportedly after Trump saw her on TV, and gave a short, scripted 14-minute briefing.
  • She called Trump "my husband" before correcting herself, and took questions from only three friendly outlets.
  • Asked where she passed the bar, she said China — a country where foreigners can't take the bar or practice law.
  • Her LinkedIn lists her as general counsel of a conservative nonprofit, a title that normally requires a law license somewhere.
  • White House staff are already leaking complaints, calling the debut brutal and questioning why she was sent out so fast.

Outlook: The credential questions are the real danger, and Trump has little patience for aides who embarrass him.

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