New Press Secretary Responds to Criticism During First Briefing

Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, stated that she did her utmost during her initial briefing, pushing back against concerns about her legal qualifications in an appearance on “Hannity” Thursday.

The Pepperdine Law graduate was introduced to the White House briefing room on Tuesday, shortly after President Donald Trump announced her appointment on Friday, which, she mentioned, left her with minimal time to prepare for this significant position.

“I feel like I really stepped up to the plate for the press conference,” she shared with Sean Hannity. “With almost no prep time, I got the briefing materials on Tuesday morning.”

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During her roughly 14-minute briefing, Zacharia received criticism for only answering three questions, as much of her time was spent highlighting the accomplishments of the Trump administration ahead of the midterm elections.

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Addressing the backlash, she pointed out that she had been on the job for less than eight hours before facing the media. Zacharia also contested the claims that she only took questions from conservative-leaning outlets.

“Considering I’ve been in the role for maybe eight hours and had just received a briefing book that morning, I really did my best to represent the American public that day,” she asserted.

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“I answered several questions, and I think the response has been mixed. People have claimed I only took questions from conservative sources, but the Daily Mail isn’t typically viewed as conservative or biased toward conservatives, so I challenge that narrative,” she explained.

During her debut, Zacharia also announced that the Trump administration had requested Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign from her ambassador role, describing it as important news that needed to be shared.

The criticism around Zacharia was intensified due to questions about her legal background after a report indicated she had not passed the California bar exam.

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Hannity confronted her regarding her social media history, where she had been referred to as an attorney.

“There are reports showing 15 social media posts where you identify as an attorney,” he noted.

“I think those were retweets, and I clarified that I wasn’t endorsing that title. They were merely retweets of someone else’s description,” Zacharia responded.

She shared that after failing the bar exam the first time post-law school, she chose not to retake it.

“I graduated from Pepperdine, got married the same week, and we were planning to move to China,” she said. “I had preregistered for the bar exam… but I knew my results wouldn’t matter because I’d be in China, so I took it to avoid a withdrawal status.”

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“When I needed to give legal commentary, I consulted with lawyers and legal professionals to see if it was acceptable to identify myself as a lawyer based on my valid juris doctor from Pepperdine Law School, along with my real legal experience,” she added.

After a few days of severe criticism, including from comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who derided her intelligence, Zacharia expressed her determination to continue in her role.

She mentioned her desire to build better relationships with members of the press corps and engage more meaningfully with reporters in the future.

“I would love to establish relationships with the press corps that enable substantive discussions,” Zacharia stated. “And I plan to be well-prepared, Sean, fully embracing the responsibilities entrusted to me by President Trump as press secretary.”