A Trump administration official argued that the White House press secretary could technically be considered a “lawyer.” Legal experts have disputed that argument.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia did not pass the California bar exam when she took it after graduating from law school, according to a senior administration official.

The official argued that Zacharia could technically be considered a “lawyer,” though not an attorney. Donald Trump referred to Zacharia as an “attorney” in his Truth Social post announcing that he was tapping her as press secretary.

But several lawyers told NBC News that “lawyer” is widely understood to refer to someone who has passed the bar exam and is licensed to practice law.

Zacharia’s failure to pass the bar exam was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The new White House press secretary is facing questions about her legal credentials after the White House has not said whether Zacharia, who has repeatedly referred to herself as a lawyer, passed the bar exam.

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[–] 85 points 1 week ago (11 children)

She passed the most important test for this regime: the ability to brazenly lie to the public.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    She was tapped for numerous reason.

    1. Dumb idiots like to stare at “attractive” (atrocious plastic pieces of shit).
    2. people in echo chambers like to be reinsured of their own beliefs.
    3. cause as many distractions as possible for the failing governments promises before the midterms.

    At the core all this current admin has done is prevent the Epstein files and allowed corruption to the highest degree.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    Her face bothers me, I think she's had plastic surgery, although actually rather well done compared to the other maga personalities like loomer and gillfoyle and the like. Her fake tits are way way overdone how does anyone want that idk.

    Both Eric and Ivanka both have had plastic surgery to their faces too by the way. Check the before and after pictures.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    Trump has alternative meanings to common words.

    Why is he in charge of ANYTHING???

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  • [–] 5 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    Because he told the idiots he would make everything better. But in Trump language that means better for himself and his cronies, not the idiots that voted for him.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago*

    I would say it's because he promised to be cruel to the people that many morons have been convinced to hate. I honestly cannot say I ever get the feeling that conservatives get very focused on actually making anything better. If they ever did, all a politician needs to do is point at the better thing supposedly helping their "enemies" and it would be back to focusing on "making things fair," ie. Hurting minorities and the left.

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  • [–] 71 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    Pepperidge farm remembers Jill Biden EdD being disparaged for appropriately using the title doctor. Party of hypocrites every one.

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  • [–] 34 points 1 week ago

    She's a blond so trumps tiny little bar gets hard. And that's the only bar exam she had to pass.

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  • [–] 29 points 1 week ago (5 children)

    The law says that misrepresenting yourself as one who practices or may practice law is the violation. It does not specify that you refer to yourself by any specific terms.

    There is no legal distinction between "lawyer" or "attorney" in California law. And speaking from nearly 4 decades of being an American and native English speaker, there is no colloquial difference either. They are used interchangeablly.

    Whatever lax meaning they are trying to project onto the term "lawyer" was made up wholecloth by them to obfuscate her (criminal) lie.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 week ago

    I’m not really a lawyer, but I play one on TV.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 child)

    Hey, I don't think anyone in the Trump administration passes a bar without downing a few shots.

    Edit: been thinking. I guess "passes a bar without examining it" would have worked even better.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 week ago (11 children)

    What!? What about China? Didn't she pass it in China? Pretty sure she passed it in China!

    Isn't it illegal to impersonate a lawyer?

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago (8 children)

    I think the legality depends on what actions you take. If you just tell people that and don't provide legal services or advice, it's probably not illegal.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago (3 children)

    Well sweet! I'm gonna just add IAAL on my resume then!

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  • [–] 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    It's definitely illegal. The issue is portraying yourself as an attorney for a benefit which in this case is a job. There's no way that claim has no factoring in her hiring and if it didn't it would imply bribery or nepotism.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago (1 child)

    But why would being a lawyer help get a job as a press secretary?

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    Most press secretaries have a field speciality that is helpful with that administration's plans and motivations. Levitt was a political journalist that went to school for it, huck sans was poly sci/mass comm.

    And we don't know, finding out what would normally spark an investigation.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 week ago

    She's a bullshitter? I did not see that coming.......... /s

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  • [–] 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

    She called herself a lawyer, she is not. Repercussions please.

    Edit: Ahhh ha ha ha, then she throws the president of her university under the bus

    The new White House press secretary told the New York Times on Wednesday that when she first began appearing on cable news, she had asked Pepperdine how she should identify herself.

    She said she was advised by the university president that she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckqxne2evqreo

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  • [–] 8 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    Her face bothers me. She sure overdid her fake tits too. The president sure has a type though, same type as rupert murdoch, unless you count all the men with fine buttocks in which case prez is a little different than rupert.

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    [–] 8 points 1 week ago

    Probably passed a bartending class and confused that with law school.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    The more I see pictures of these people, the more I get the feeling that everything they do is cosplay some weird projection onto themselves.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

    What’s the over/under on her tenure vs the mooch?

    Edit: she’s out. Half a mooch.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    Drivers exam, dental exam, she even failed the little crayon maze on the kids menu at Denny's.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    Those menus are designed by liberals. The crayons are in rainbow colors, forcing our kids to be trans.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago

    Every librul gets paid $300k/yr to design those menus in their cushy New York city office. And the only thing their boss says is drink more lattes! and hide the word "antifa" in the crossword puzzle!

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago

    I'm not sure if she even passed the elementary school exam...

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  • [–] 3 points 1 week ago

    Fukn dei hires

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    She’ll be a perfect fit!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    If trump admin didn’t have liars, kooks and un qualified dummies there would be no one.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    I’ve see 7/9 seasons of Matlock. Pretty sure I’m a lawyer. Not to mention Night Court.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    So, does this mean most of the posters here are lawyers, by these extremely loose terms?

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    Everyone nice and distracted yet? This is the hand tote supposed to be focused on while the other is raping your future.

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  • Donald Trump referred to Zacharia as an “attorney” in his Truth Social post announcing that he was tapping her

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago

    As far as I know, Wisconsin is the only state where you can be a lawyer without passing the bar due to "Diploma Privledge"

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