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Rogue Energy

Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Reportedly Did NOT Pass Bar Exam; Says It’s All “One Big Misunderstanding”

Oct 15, 2026 · 35 min · 23 segments

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine Law School, but did not pass. This, after the New…

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine Law School, but did not pass. This, after the New York Times was able to briefly talk to Zacharia on the phone where she claimed she couldn’t hear when a reporter asked her in what state she passed the bar. Instead, she said she assumed she was asked where she went after graduating law school…. And that’s why she replied “When I was in China?” Zacharia also went on to say the president of her law school told her she could call herself a “lawyer” but she could not refer to herself as an “attorney.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine Law School, but did not pass. This, after the New…

Speakers: Amy RobachHostTJ HolmesHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafe

Top entities: Katie Zacharia×12 GEICO×21 White House×6 Pepperdine University×5 T. J. Holmes×11

Questions About Her Legal Credentials4:16 – 21:22

4:16

Wednesday is officially the third day on the job for the new White House press secretary, in which she's supposed to be telling the president's story.

4:24

She's struggling to tell her own right now.

4:26

Right.

4:26

She actually is, well, she took at least one interview with The New York Times to try and explain what exactly her background truly is and what she really meant to say-

4:37

Yeah

4:37

... and what she really thought the question she was being asked was.

4:40

Cleared everything up.

4:41

But yeah, she's added more confusion.

4:43

Right?

4:43

I think she's playing cute in a way.

4:45

She's just not being straight.

4:47

No.

4:47

She's not being straight and just putting this to bed.

4:49

She could put this to bed.

4:51

By simply saying, "I didn't pass the bar, guys," and that's it.

4:54

Yeah.

4:55

Why can't she do that?

4:56

Why can't she say, "I didn't pass the bar.

4:58

I'm not an attorney, but I am considered a lawyer given my law degree"?

5:03

Just say it and let people fight it out.

5:05

Just, just be straight and move on, but she's not doing that, so the debate continues.

5:10

Part of that debate, Robes, includes folks now going through and trying to define what a lawyer is versus what an attorney is.

5:16

We'll get into that, but Robes, this has been a mess.

5:19

It continues.

5:21

Uh, The Wall Street Journal and New York Times do have new reporting as of this morning having to do with whether or not she ever took a bar exam, if she passed said exam as well, Robes, and yes, how she explained that really awkward moment when she was leaving the White House on Tuesday with the president.

Katie ZachariaPerson
99%12 mentions
GEICOCompanyInsurance company
97%21 mentions
White HouseTourist AttractionOfficial residence in Washington, D.C., United States
95%6 mentions
Pepperdine UniversityCollege or UniversityPrivate university in Los Angeles County, California
93%5 mentions
T. J. HolmesPersonAmerican journalist
91%11 mentions
The Wall Street JournalPeriodicalAmerican newspaper
89%5 mentions
CaliforniaAdministrative AreaUS state
87%9 mentions
ChinaCountryCountry in East Asia
85%13 mentions
Jana KramerPersonAmerican actress
83%5 mentions
Eternally YoursTV SeriesSitcom
81%5 mentions
iHeartRadioCompanyCompany
79%5 mentions
Paramount+OrganizationCorporation
77%5 mentions
Amy RobachPersonAmerican reporter
75%14 mentions
CBSCompanyTelevision broadcasting company
73%8 mentions
Brian WilliamsPersonAmerican journalist
71%1 mention
Martha StewartPersonAmerican businesswoman and writer
69%7 mentions
The State Bar of CaliforniaCompany
67%3 mentions
The New York TimesPeriodicalNewspaper
65%10 mentions
DupilumabEntityDrug
63%17 mentions
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
61%3 mentions
Marine OneEntity
59%2 mentions
Campaign for AccountabilityOrganizationNon-profit
57%2 mentions
Auntie Anne'sRestaurantChain
55%2 mentions
GhostsTV SeriesSitcom
53%1 mention
World Mental Health DayEntityCelebration
51%2 mentions
Pre-exposure prophylaxisEntity
49%3 mentions
Regeneron PharmaceuticalsCompanyBiotechnology company
46%2 mentions
SanofiCompanyPharmaceutical industry company
46%2 mentions
Dude WipesProduct ModelProduct line
43%8 mentions
NutrisystemCompanyCompany
41%1 mention
HIVEntityVirus
39%2 mentions
Prevention of HIV/AIDSEntity
37%1 mention
sexually transmitted diseaseEntityInfection
35%2 mentions
Jenny Craig, Inc.CompanyNutrition company
33%1 mention
NBC NewsCompanyTelevision broadcaster
30%1 mention
NBC Nightly NewsTV SeriesTelevision program
30%1 mention
Fox NewsOrganizationTelevision channel
27%1 mention
Pepperdine University School of LawEntityLaw school in Los Angeles County, California
25%1 mention
IranCountryCountry in the Middle East
23%1 mention
NewsNationCompanyTelevision broadcasting company
21%1 mention
Hurricane KatrinaEventCatastrophe
19%1 mention
Truth SocialSoftware ApplicationWebsite
17%1 mention
ArizonaAdministrative AreaUS state
15%1 mention
Karoline LeavittPersonSpokesperson and former White House Press Secretary
13%1 mention
New York University School of LawEntityLaw school in New York
11%1 mention
BeijingCityCapital of China
9%1 mention
LinkedInSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
7%1 mention
Fareed ZakariaPersonIndian-American journalist
5%1 mention
American Bar AssociationEducational OrganizationBar association
3%1 mention
Gilead SciencesCompanyPharmaceutics company
1%1 mention

United States PoliticsPolitics
Society
Professional EthicsEthics
Political JournalismMedia > News Media
Presidential CommunicationsPolitics > United States Politics > White House
Truthfulness in Public RepresentationEthics > Professional Ethics
Press Briefings and InterviewsMedia > News Media > Political Journalism
Press Secretary Credential ControversyPolitics > United States Politics > White House > Presidential Communications
Bar Examination and Unauthorized PracticeLaw > Legal Profession > Attorney Licensing
Credential Scrutiny of a White House SpokespersonMedia > News Media > Political Journalism > Press Briefings and Interviews
Resume and Credential MisrepresentationEthics > Professional Ethics > Truthfulness in Public Representation
Trustworthiness of a Government SpokespersonEthics > Professional Ethics > Truthfulness in Public Representation > Resume and Credential Misrepresentation
Gender and Public PerceptionSociety
Women in LeadershipSociety > Gender and Public Perception
Gendered Media ExpectationsSociety > Gender and Public Perception > Women in Leadership
White HousePolitics > United States Politics
Legal ProfessionLaw
Attorney LicensingLaw > Legal Profession
Law
Politics
Media
Ethics
News MediaMedia

Questions About Her Legal Credentials4:16 – 21:22

4:16

Wednesday is officially the third day on the job for the new White House press secretary, in which she's supposed to be telling the president's story.

4:24

She's struggling to tell her own right now.

4:26

Right.

4:26

She actually is, well, she took at least one interview with The New York Times to try and explain what exactly her background truly is and what she really meant to say-

4:37

Yeah

4:37

... and what she really thought the question she was being asked was.

4:40

Cleared everything up.

4:41

But yeah, she's added more confusion.

4:43

Right?

4:43

I think she's playing cute in a way.

4:45

She's just not being straight.

4:47

No.

4:47

She's not being straight and just putting this to bed.

4:49

She could put this to bed.

4:51

By simply saying, "I didn't pass the bar, guys," and that's it.

4:54

Yeah.

4:55

Why can't she do that?

4:56

Why can't she say, "I didn't pass the bar.

4:58

I'm not an attorney, but I am considered a lawyer given my law degree"?

5:03

Just say it and let people fight it out.

5:05

Just, just be straight and move on, but she's not doing that, so the debate continues.

5:10

Part of that debate, Robes, includes folks now going through and trying to define what a lawyer is versus what an attorney is.

5:16

We'll get into that, but Robes, this has been a mess.

5:19

It continues.

5:21

Uh, The Wall Street Journal and New York Times do have new reporting as of this morning having to do with whether or not she ever took a bar exam, if she passed said exam as well, Robes, and yes, how she explained that really awkward moment when she was leaving the White House on Tuesday with the president.

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