Is Trump’s New Press Secretary Really a Lawyer? Zacharia’s Credentials and First Briefing Under Scrutiny

United States President Donald Trump’s new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing questions about her legal qualifications and her readiness for one of the administration’s most visible communication roles following her first press briefing.

Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt, previously worked as a conservative political commentator on Fox News and Newsmax. She also served briefly as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security and worked as a communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group before her appointment.

However, attention has shifted from her political background to a more specific question: does she hold the qualifications required to practise law?

Does Katie Zacharia have a law degree?

Yes. Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University with an undergraduate degree in 2007 and obtained her law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011, according to the Associated Press.

But earning a law degree is not the same as being licensed to practise law.

In the United States, lawyers generally must meet the requirements of the relevant jurisdiction, which commonly include passing a bar examination and being admitted to practise.

According to the Associated Press, the State Bar of California said it had no record of Zacharia, under her known names, being licensed to practise law in California. An investigation by the independent news outlet Popular Information also reported that it found no record of her being licensed in any of the 50 states it checked or Washington, D.C.

Zacharia has maintained that she practised international transaction law with the appropriate credentials. Her professional background also lists work with a law firm in Beijing and a role as general counsel for the organisation Fix California.

However, publicly available reporting has not established where she obtained a licence to practise law.

The issue attracted further attention after a reporter asked where she had passed the bar examination. Zacharia responded, “When I moved to China,” but the exchange did not clearly establish what qualification she meant.

The Associated Press reported that China’s national legal qualification examination is restricted to Chinese citizens. It also reported that the White House had not provided evidence that Zacharia passed a bar examination in a US state or China. A complaint has since been filed with the California State Bar requesting an investigation into whether she misrepresented her legal credentials. The complaint is not, by itself, proof of wrongdoing.⁠

How did she perform in her first press briefing?

Zacharia held her first White House press briefing on October 13, 2026. The session lasted approximately 14 minutes and included questions from only a small number of journalists.

An Associated Press assessment described the briefing as a difficult debut. The report noted that Zacharia frequently looked down at her notes, read from a prepared script and stumbled during some exchanges. She also appeared to mix up the words “husband” and “president” while speaking.

She took questions from journalists representing Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail before bringing the briefing to an end and directing reporters to put further questions to Trump. The limited questioning drew criticism, particularly because the outlets called upon have generally been more sympathetic to the president than some other news organisations.

Her first appearance was not without a news development, however. Zacharia announced that Trump had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece, to resign.

Trump subsequently praised Zacharia’s performance, describing her debut as “excellent”, while the White House defended her appointment and expressed confidence in her ability to do the job.

Has she proved herself capable of the job?

It is too early to reach a final conclusion about Zacharia’s ability to serve as White House press secretary based on one briefing.

The role requires more than confidence in front of cameras. A press secretary must communicate government decisions clearly, respond to difficult questions, explain policies accurately and maintain credibility with journalists and the public.

Zacharia’s first briefing raised questions about her preparation, her handling of questions and the administration’s approach to media access. At the same time, one appearance does not establish how she will perform over the coming weeks and months.

Her previous experience in political commentary and communications may help her understand how to deliver a political message. Whether she can also provide clear, substantive answers under pressure will become clearer as she handles more briefings.

The bigger questions

Zacharia’s appointment has brought two separate issues into focus: the evidence supporting her claims about her legal credentials and the standards by which the public should assess her performance as the president’s spokesperson.

The first requires documentary evidence and clarification of her professional qualifications. The second requires observing how she handles questions, explains government policy and responds to scrutiny over time.

For now, the available evidence supports a clear distinction: Zacharia has a law degree, but her licence to practise law in the United States has not been established in the public reporting reviewed. Her first briefing also attracted criticism, although it is too early to determine her overall effectiveness in the role.

As she settles into the position, the central test will be whether she can communicate the administration’s position clearly while providing journalists and the public with substantive answers to legitimate questions.

Woman Who Cut Off Ex-Husband’s Penis Gets Second Chance as He Plans to Remarry Her

A Brazilian man, Gilberto Nogueira de Oliveira, has reportedly expressed his intention to remarry his ex-wife, Daiane dos Santos Farias, despite an attack in 2023 that left him with a severe genital injury.

Daiane was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison over the incident, which reportedly occurred on December 22, 2023. According to reports, she was released in November, after which Gilberto contacted her to rekindle their relationship, saying he had missed her.

Reports state that Daiane lured Gilberto into a sexual encounter before restraining him with a pair of knickers and cutting his genitals with a knife.

Gilberto was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment. However, he later faced further distress when photographs of his injuries, which he had reportedly consented to having taken for medical purposes, circulated online.

According to reports, medical staff had taken the photographs because they had not encountered a similar case and wanted to assess the injury to determine an appropriate course of treatment.

Gilberto later discovered that the images had allegedly been shared in a WhatsApp group before spreading on X, formerly Twitter. Investigators reportedly traced one of the photographs to a computer at the hospital.

The Santa Casa de Atibaia medical centre was subsequently ordered to pay him compensation of 20,000 Brazilian reais, equivalent to approximately £3,020 at the time of the reports.

However, Gilberto expressed dissatisfaction with the amount, saying it did not adequately reflect the pain and humiliation he had endured.

“This compensation is very low. I want more. I need money because I also want to renovate my house,” he said.

He has reportedly appealed for additional compensation. Meanwhile, he intends to use the money towards his planned wedding and a penile prosthesis.

Gilberto has already undergone blood tests ahead of the proposed surgery, which he may receive assistance for through Brazil’s public healthcare system.

Despite the circumstances surrounding the attack, Gilberto has continued to defend Daiane, describing her actions as something she did “in the heat of the moment”.

Explaining his decision to reconcile with her, he said: “I really want to get back together with her. I love her.

“It never crossed my mind to do anything bad to her, and it still doesn’t.”

27 Killed in Two Mass Shootings in South Africa Within Hours

At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa within hours of each other, as police continue a search for those responsible.

The first attack occurred on Saturday night at a tavern in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, where 17 people were killed and 15 others injured.

Police said eight gunmen, reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, opened fire on customers outside the tavern before continuing the attack inside. Two vehicles were also set on fire before the suspects fled.

Thirteen men and four women were among those killed, according to police.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said people from Ethiopia and Lesotho were among those caught up in the attack, although most of the victims were South African.

Police have not established a definitive motive. Mthombeni said robbery was one line of investigation after personal belongings were reportedly taken, while authorities were also examining a possible connection to conflicts involving illegal mining groups.

Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana also said investigators were considering whether the shooting could have been a retaliation for an earlier incident in which one person was killed and another wounded.

Police said they had photographs and, in some cases, names of people they were seeking in connection with the attack.

Hours later, another shooting occurred in Lwandle, near Cape Town, in the early hours of Sunday.

Ten people were killed and 11 others injured after gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue. Five victims died at the scene, while another five later died in hospital.

No arrests had been announced in either shooting at the time of reporting, while police continued investigations into both attacks.

The two attacks came only days after another mass shooting near Durban in which 11 people were killed when gunmen reportedly stormed a house in the KwaMakhutha township.

South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime and gun violence. Recent mass shootings have also raised concerns about violence linked to organised crime, gangs, drug trafficking and illegal mining.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously described organised crime as a major threat to South Africa and has backed increased security operations in areas experiencing high levels of violent crime.

The latest shootings have renewed concerns about the country’s struggle to contain firearm-related violence, with investigations into the latest attacks still ongoing.

Trump Says US Will Now Call AI ‘Super Intelligence’ in Government Documents

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the American government will begin referring to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence” in its official documents.

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The announcement follows several comments by Trump in recent days about the terminology used to describe artificial intelligence.

According to Reuters, Trump said U.S. government documents would henceforth use the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence.”

Trump had previously questioned the phrase “artificial intelligence,” arguing that the word “artificial” was inaccurate and not an appropriate description of the technology.

On September 19, he asked his followers on Truth Social to consider alternative names, including “Super Intelligence,” “Extreme Intelligence” and “Supreme Intelligence.”

By September 21, Trump was using “SI,” meaning “Super Intelligence,” in his public comments about the technology.

During his UN address, Trump also defended continued development of AI and opposed the introduction of new regulations that he believes could slow the technology’s growth. Reuters reported that he said U.S. law-enforcement agencies could intervene if necessary, while maintaining that the technology should continue to develop.

Trump’s announcement concerns terminology used by the U.S. government and does not itself change the established technical meaning or international use of the term “artificial intelligence.”

The term “superintelligence” already has a separate meaning in technology and academic discussions. It is commonly used to describe a hypothetical form of machine intelligence that would surpass human cognitive abilities across a broad range of tasks. The United Nations has previously used the expression “artificial super intelligence” in discussions about possible future AI systems.

The announcement therefore represents a proposed change in U.S. government terminology rather than a global renaming of artificial intelligence.

Trump’s remarks come as governments and technology companies continue to debate the development, regulation and potential risks of increasingly capable AI systems.

Uganda’s King Oyo Buried as Dispute Over His Successor Deepens

Thousands of mourners gathered in Fort Portal as King Oyo of Tooro was buried amid a dispute over his succession.

Uganda’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has been buried in Fort Portal, days after a dispute emerged over who should succeed him as monarch of the Tooro Kingdom.

Oyo, who was 34, died in the United States last month while undergoing cancer treatment. He had ruled Tooro, one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms, since becoming king at the age of three.

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Fort Portal on Saturday as the late king’s casket was taken to the royal tombs, where a private burial ceremony was held.

Oyo became Tooro’s monarch as a toddler and was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s youngest reigning monarch during his reign.

The burial took place against the backdrop of an unresolved succession dispute involving members of the royal family and the Babiito clan, which oversees the traditional succession process.

TV news presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, was named as the next monarch by clan elders. During the burial ceremony, he reportedly cast nine coffee beans into Oyo’s grave, a traditional ritual understood to signify the end of one reign and the beginning of another.

However, members of Oyo’s family have rejected Kijanangoma’s selection.

Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said the late king had left a will in 2022 naming his young son as his successor. The identity of the child has not been publicly disclosed.

The succession dispute also led to concerns within the royal family over security arrangements at the palace.

Queen Best Kemigisa, Oyo’s mother, said royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and replaced with soldiers. She described the situation as “house arrest”, saying the development restricted the royal family’s movement and ability to receive visitors.

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, called for unity during Saturday’s burial ceremony, warning that disagreements surrounding the succession could damage the legacy of the late king.

“Words spoken in grief can cause pain, division and conflict. It can even destroy the legacy of the king we are mourning,” he told mourners.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also urged those involved to resolve the succession dispute and prioritise unity.

The Babiito royal clan, however, defended its decision to name Kijanangoma as the next monarch.

Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, said the succession process had been conducted in accordance with Tooro’s culture and traditions.

“We have done everything in observance of the culture and traditions of Tooro. We must all preserve peace and serenity,” Karumasi said.

Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms. The kingdoms were abolished by the government in 1967 and restored in the 1990s under President Museveni. Their monarchs are recognised as cultural leaders rather than political rulers.

With the burial of King Oyo now completed, attention is expected to remain focused on the competing claims surrounding the future leadership of the Tooro Kingdom.