New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia defended her first few days on the job amid intense scrutiny, saying she felt she had “really stepped up” despite the fast onboarding process.
The Trump official appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” Thursday evening, where she took a moment to address her critics, who slammed her 14-minute press briefing – where she only took questions from a handful of outlets.
“I got a phone call last Wednesday. I flew out to D.C. on Thursday. I had a meeting on Friday, was offered the job. Flew home to California on Saturday. Flew back to Washington on Sunday. Was asked to start on Monday, Sean, which is Columbus Day,” she said. “And so, it’s a federal holiday. And have a press briefing at 9:30 in the morning on Tuesday. So, what I feel is that I really stepped up to the plate to do the press conference, Sean, with very little prep time.”
As Zacharia went on, she shared that she received briefing materials Tuesday morning, shortly before she faced the White House press corps for the first time. Per Zacharia, she took her first briefing as “an opportunity” to tell the people “what [Trump]’s doing for Americans and how hard he’s working.”
“And then I delivered some breaking news. I think I’m one of the first press secretaries to deliver staff changes for the administration,” she said. “And I was honored that President Trump trusted me with delivering that information. And then I took several questions.”
On the criticism that Zacharia only took questions from conservative outlets on her first day – she notably called on Breitbart News, Fox News and The Daily Mail – she questioned whether the British tabloid could be considered a conservative publication.
“They have said I only took questions from conservative outlets,” she said. “However, The Daily Mail is not known to be a conservative outlet or friendly to conservatives. So, I do challenge that narrative.”
According to AllSides.com, The Daily Mail “leans right” in its coverage.
Zacharia also stood by her decision to conclude the press conference at the 14-minute mark. “And then, as I should’ve, I ended conference and I left,” she said. “Given the fact that I had been on the job less than, maybe, eight hours and had a briefing book in the morning, I feel like I really did my very best, Sean, to deliver for the American people that day.”
Watch Zacharia’s Fox News appearance below.
Zacharia: They have said I only took questions from conservative outlets. However, The Daily Mail is not known to be a conservative outlet or friendly to conservatives pic.twitter.com/55lRSfGUQE
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2026
Zacharia’s comments come after the White House newcomer was mocked widely by media figures for her first-day performance. For instance, MS NOW host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki wrote on X Tuesday, “Well that briefing was basically an ‘SNL’ skit…except it wasn’t.” Republican strategist and Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell expressed a similar sentiment, writing in her own post, “It can’t be real. It’s something from Tina Fey’s imagination.”
Elsewhere in her “Hannity” appearance, Zacharia touched on the misconception surrounding her legal credentials. She confirmed that she did not pass the bar, but noted that she had no intention “to go in to the practice of law” after moving back to the United States after working at a firm in China.
“When I went to engage in media and give legal analysis … I wasn’t being paid for legal advice,” she defended. “I was giving a general review of the legal circumstances surrounding it.”
Hannity: Why get in this drawn out definition of an attorney and a lawyer? Why didn’t you just say I never practiced law? Zacharia: When I moved back from the United States, it was never my intent to go in to the practice of law.. When I went to engage in media and give legal… pic.twitter.com/ntbLZpvSAL
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2026
As we previously reported, Zacharia did sit for the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011. She did not pass the test. She later worked as an associate on the international practice team at China-based Zhong Lun Law Firm, a role that did not require her to have passed the bar exam.
Zacharia sparked confusion on her first day on the job by telling the press gaggle that she passed the bar “when I moved to China.” She followed up this comment with the following statement to media: “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
President Trump also notably referred to her as an “attorney” in a Truth Social post announcing her appointment to the press secretary role.
The post New Trump Press Secretary Defends First Day Performance After Criticism: ‘I Really Stepped Up’ appeared first on TheWrap.
