All week, I have seen nothing but online chatter surrounding the very new and now very gone White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. 

Zacharia started her first day as the new press secretary last Monday, replacing Karoline Leavitt. Five days later, however, it was announced that she had left the position, which makes her the shortest-tenured White House press secretary in US history. 

Before becoming White House press secretary, Zacharia was the former spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security  and the Senior Communications Advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group, the organization that owns Truth Social. She has also been a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, Newsmax, One America News, and other news outlets defending administration policies

She was a surprise press secretary pick, and many in the White House were unfamiliar with her before she started the role. Her selection came quickly according to CNN who reported she wasn’t even being considered for the role  two weeks ago. CNN also alleged that multiple candidates had been disqualified before her after the selection committee said something negative about the president

Her position was announced on Truth Social by President Donald Trump, where he described her as an “attorney” as well as “a devoted fan and member of MAGA!” 

On Tuesday, Zacharia gave her first press briefing, which has popularly been viewed as disastrous. Many felt she was unprepared after multiple word stumbles and awkward pauses despite reading off a script. The briefing discussed mostly the firing of Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, lasted 15 minutes, and she only took three questions, which lasted roughly 5 ½ minutes..

After the press conference, her legal career began to get called into question. She only fueled this speculation when reporters asked last Tuesday on the South Lawn where she passed the bar, she responded twice with “When I moved to China”. The bar exam can only be taken within US jurisdiction. 

In a phone interview with the New York Times, she claimed to be unable to hear the question and thought they asked her where she went after law school. She also amended that she didn’t want to take a step forward to hear the question because state protocol dictates that she must always stand behind the president. Despite this alleged mishearing, Trump repeated to her the question when she was standing only a few feet away and still answered that she passed the bar in China. 

Zacharia holds both a law and bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University. After law school, she sat for the bar exam but did not pass, she then moved to China with her husband, where she worked in international transaction law. She did not attempt to pass the bar a second time because she was “incredibly distracted, and overwhelmed and excited” by her impending marriage and move to China, she said in an interview with Real America’s Voice. 

Her career trajectory has launched an entire debate about what defines a lawyer. 

Legal experts told The New York Times that it is debatable whether a law school graduate can call themself a lawyer since she wouldn’t have been able to practice law or give legal advice. Zacharia told Real Americas Voice that her legal counsel told her she could call herself a lawyer. 

The nonprofit Campaign for Accountability disagreed and filed a complaint with the California Law Board stating Zacharia had violated state law by repeatedly calling herself a lawyer. Despite her no longer being in the position, Campaign For Accountability said it did not resolve the legal question and still urged its investigation. It is important to point out that it is not necessary to have passed the bar exam to be the White House press secretary. 

On Friday, Trump told the press that he wasn’t going to fire Zacharia, but she should reconsider the job.

“I told her, ‘I think you’re better off being happy and I don’t think you could ever be happy in this job’,” said Trump. Around the same time, The New York Times reported that she was fired according to three White House insiders.

In her resignation announcement post, Zacharia said, “President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him.”

In a statement to CNN, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Zacharia will be transitioning into a different role within the White House communications team. Two inside sources told NBC News, Trump is unlikely to fill the new position soon. 

Zacharia’s story goes to prove the importance of a good communications selection. The Trump administration has been known to give people who have less experience than other candidates roles due to their loyalty to the administration. 

After last week’s fiasco, there will hopefully be more reflection within the administration over what a qualified candidate actually looks like.