What Went Wrong in a 13-Minute Briefing... "Is She Even a Lawyer?" Controversy Grows

[Anchor]

A newly appointed White House press secretary by U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy right upon taking office. Beyond an unprepared, clumsy briefing and absurd slip of the tongue, suspicions have also emerged regarding her qualifications as a lawyer.

Lee Hanseok reports from Washington.

[Reporter]

Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House press secretary succeeding Karoline Leavitt.

[Katie Zacharia / White House Press Secretary: I am deeply honored to work for President Trump and the American people.]

However, at her first official briefing just two days into office, she kept her eyes glued to her prepared notes, reading for about eight minutes, took questions from only three pro-administration reporters, and abruptly left the podium, saying President Trump would answer.

[Katie Zacharia / White House Press Secretary: You can ask him about that in Alaska. Thank you.]

During her remarks, she also made an absurd slip of the tongue, referring to her husband as the president.

[Katie Zacharia / White House Press Secretary: So, Mr. President—oh, I'm sorry, my husband—that was funny. My husband is here in Washington.]

U.S. media outlets poured harsh criticism on the shoddy briefing, which lasted a mere 13 minutes in total, and suspicions over a "fake background" also erupted.

Zacharia has claimed to be a lawyer who graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law, but gave an incoherent answer when asked in which state she acquired her qualification.

[Katie Zacharia / White House Press Secretary: (Which state did you pass the bar exam in?) When I went over to China.]

However, The Washington Post pointed out that non-citizens cannot acquire a legal qualification in China, and there is no record of her bar registration in any of the 50 U.S. states.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Zacharia failed the California bar exam back in 2011.

As the controversy grew, the White House communications director defended her, stating she was not chosen for "legal work" and that she would do a good job as press secretary.

Having served as a commentator for conservative media outlets like Fox News before joining the presidential election campaign and catching President Trump's eye, she has dealt a fatal blow to her credibility right as she begins her job, prompting growing calls for her dismissal.

(Video Reported by Oh Jeong-sik, Video Edited by Kim Byeong-jik)

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