Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, reportedly failed her bar exam, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The report, published Thursday, says Zacharia presents herself as a lawyer even though she did not pass the qualification exam.
Other Dutch outlets carried similar accounts. NOS framed the story around whether she is a practicing attorney or only a legal graduate, noting she came under scrutiny soon after taking the role. AD.nl reported that Zacharia calls herself a lawyer but "failed the exam," while the Noordhollands Dagblad attributed the claim to the Wall Street Journal. WNL described a difficult start for the new press chief, quoting criticism that "very little is coming out" of the office.
The coverage centers on a gap between how Zacharia describes her professional background and the exam result reported by these outlets. The reports do not include a response from Zacharia or the White House, and the underlying exam records have not been described in the material available.
The story adds to early pressure on the press office, with several Dutch outlets focusing on both her credentials and her performance in the job so far.
What to watch next: whether Zacharia or the White House addresses the exam claim directly, and whether the scrutiny affects how the press office operates.
