Katie Zacharia RESPONDS to critics questioning her legal background

[0:00] ALL RIGHT, HERE WITH REACTION, [0:01] PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BRAND-NEW PRESS [0:02] SECRETARY, KATIE ZACHARIA. [0:03] WE'LL HAVE MORE WITH MATT TOWERY [0:04] AND AARON MAGUIRE STRAIGHT AHEAD. [0:07] ALL RIGHT, KATIE, I KNOW THIS IS A [0:09] WIDELY VIEWED INTERVIEW FOR YOU. [0:12] AND YOU HAD YOUR FIRST MOMENT AS [0:16] PRESS SECRETARY. [0:17] IT'S BEEN WIDELY PANNED. [0:19] I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE. [0:20] IT ONLY LASTED 14 MINUTES. [0:22] YOU ONLY TOOK THREE QUESTIONS. [0:23] QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR LEGAL [0:26] BACKGROUND, CALLING YOURSELF A [0:27] LAWYER. [0:28] YOU WENT TO PEPPERDINE LAW SCHOOL [0:30] BUT YOU DID NOT PASS THE BAR EXAM, [0:32] CORRECT? [0:33] CORRECT. [0:35] OKAY. [0:36] WHAT HAPPENED? [0:37] HOW DID YOU FEEL IT WENT PERSONALLY? [0:38] WELL, SEAN, I WANT TO GIVE SOME [0:40] BACKGROUND AND IT'S NICE TO BE ON [0:41] HERE WITH YOU AND SUCH A PRIVILEGE [0:43] TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NEW [0:45] PRESS SECRETARY. [0:46] I WAS GIVEN THE OFFER LAST [0:49] WEDNESDAY OR I GOT A PHONE CALL [0:51] LAST WEDNESDAY. [0:52] I FLEW OUT TO D.C. ON THURSDAY. [0:54] I HAD A MEETING ON FRIDAY, WAS [0:56] OFFERED THE JOB, FLEW HOME TO [0:58] CALIFORNIA ON SATURDAY, FLEW [1:00] BACK TO WASHINGTON ON SUNDAY, [1:03] WAS ASKED TO START ON MONDAY, [1:05] SEAN, WHICH IS COLUMBUS DAY AND [1:07] SO IT'S A FEDERAL HOLIDAY AND [1:09] HAVE A PRESS BRIEFING AT 9.30 IN [1:11] THE MORNING ON TUESDAY. [1:12] SO WHAT I FEEL IS I REALLY [1:15] STEPPED UP AND TO THE PLATE TO DO [1:17] THE PRESS CONFERENCE, SEAN, WITH [1:19] VERY LITTLE PREP TIME. [1:20] I RECEIVED BRIEFING MATERIALS IN [1:22] THE MORNING OF TUESDAY AND I [1:25] WANTED TO DELIVER ALL OF THE [1:27] GREAT RESULTS THAT PRESIDENT [1:28] TRUMP IS DELIVERING FOR THE [1:29] AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT [1:30] OFTEN SPREAD IN THE NATIONAL [1:31] MEDIA. [1:32] SO I TOOK IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY [1:34] SO PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT HE'S [1:37] DOING FOR AMERICANS AND HOW HARD [1:38] HE'S WORKING. [1:39] AND THEN I DELIVERED SOME [1:40] BREAKING NEWS. [1:41] I THINK I'M ONE OF THE FIRST [1:43] PRESS SECRETARIES TO DELIVER STAFF [1:44] CHANGES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, [1:46] AND I WAS HONORED THAT PRESIDENT [1:47] TRUMP TRUSTED ME DELIVERING THAT [1:48] INFORMATION. [1:49] AND THEN I TOOK SEVERAL [1:51] QUESTIONS AND I THINK IT'S BEEN [1:53] MIXED, SEAN, BECAUSE THEY'VE [1:54] SAID I ONLY TOOK QUESTIONS FROM [1:56] CONSERVATIVE OUTLETS. [1:57] HOWEVER, THE DAILY MAIL IS NOT [1:59] KNOWN TO BE A CONSERVATIVE [2:01] OUTLET OR FRIENDLY TO [2:02] CONSERVATIVES. [2:03] SO I DO CHALLENGE THAT [2:05] NARRATIVE. [2:06] AND THEN AS I SHOULD'VE, I ENDED [2:09] THE CONFERENCE. [2:10] AND THEN AS I SHOULD'VE, I ENDED [2:13] THE CONFERENCE AND I LEFT AS I [2:16] BELIEVE GIVEN THE FACT THAT I [2:18] HAD BEEN ON THE JOB LESS THAN [2:20] MAYBE EIGHT HOURS AND HAD A [2:22] BRIEFING BOOK IN THE MORNING, I [2:25] FEEL LIKE I DID MY VERY BEST, [2:27] SEAN, TO DELIVER FOR THE [2:28] AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT DAY. [2:29] AM I HEARING THAT YOU THINK [2:31] THE STAFF SHOULD'VE PREPED YOU [2:34] BETTER? [2:35] WELL, I BELIEVE THAT IN THAT [2:38] TIME, I COULD'VE JUST GIVEN A [2:40] BRIEF INTRO AND SAID I'M ONLY [2:41] HERE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND I [2:43] WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE PRESS [2:45] CORE. [2:46] I'M SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BUILD [2:48] RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERY SINGLE [2:49] ONE OF YOU. [2:50] I, HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN ON THE [2:52] JOB FOR ONE DAY AND I NOW NEED [2:54] TO, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF TAKING [2:56] QUESTIONS, PROBABLY SHOULD'VE, [2:57] YOU KNOW, STEPPED ASIDE. [2:58] HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO ASK, I [3:00] WAS ABLE TO DELIVER BREAKING [3:01] NEWS WHICH I DO BELIEVE WAS THE [3:03] RIGHT THING TO DO AS THE PRESS [3:04] SECRETARY, SEAN. [3:05] I SAW YOU WERE ON WITH JACK [3:07] POSOBIAK, I GUESS, EARLIER [3:09] TONIGHT, AND YOU CALLED IT A [3:11] CONSPIRACY THEORY AS IT RELATES [3:12] TO THE ISSUE OF BEING A LAWYER. [3:15] NOW, YOU DID GO TO PEPPERDINE. [3:16] PEPPERDINE IS A GOOD SCHOOL, NO [3:18] DOUBT ABOUT IT. [3:19] YOU TOOK THE BAR EXAM, BUT YOU [3:21] DIDN'T PASS THE BAR EXAM, CORRECT? [3:22] YES, SEAN. [3:23] OKAY, DID YOU EVER TAKE IT A [3:24] SECOND TIME? [3:25] SO, FOR BACKGROUND, I GRADUATED [3:29] PEPPERDINE, GOT MARRIED IN THE [3:30] SAME WEEK, AND WE HAD ALL [3:33] INTENT TO MOVE OUT TO CHINA. [3:35] I HAD ALREADY PRE-REGISTERED [3:37] FOR THE BAR EXAM AND DURING [3:39] BASICALLY DURING THE SUMMER, I [3:42] KNEW I WOULD BE LIVING IN CHINA [3:44] AND THE RESULTS OF THE BAR WERE [3:47] INCONSEQUENTIAL, AND I SAT FOR [3:49] IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO [3:50] HAVE A WITHDRAW STATUS. [3:52] AND THEN I MOVED IN CHINA AND [3:55] WHERE I DID GET A JOB IN AN [3:57] INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE OF A [3:58] CHINESE LAW FIRM. [3:59] I WAS DOING MULTI-CROSS-COUNTRY [4:01] BORDER TRANSACTIONS AND [4:02] MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SHAREHOLDER [4:03] AGREEMENTS. [4:04] BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU [4:06] SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW THAT PART [4:07] OF THE STORY, AND YOU DID DO [4:09] ALL OF THAT, BUT DID YOU EVER [4:11] TAKE THE BAR EXAM A SECOND [4:12] TIME? [4:13] I DID NOT, SEAN. [4:14] NO. [4:15] OKAY. [4:16] SO, YOU SAID YOU CONSULTED [4:18] WITH MANY PEOPLE, AND THEY [4:19] ADVISED YOU THAT IT WAS OKAY [4:20] TODAY. [4:21] SO, YOU SAID YOU CONSULTED [4:22] WITH MANY PEOPLE, AND THEY [4:25] ADVISED YOU THAT IT WAS OKAY TO [4:26] CALL YOURSELF A LAWYER BUT NOT [4:28] AN ATTORNEY, CORRECT? [4:29] CORRECT. [4:30] OKAY. [4:31] THERE'S A REPORT OUT TONIGHT [4:32] THAT SHOWED 15 SOCIAL MEDIA [4:34] POSTS WHERE YOU IDENTIFY [4:35] YOURSELF AS AN ATTORNEY. [4:36] I THINK THEY WERE [4:38] RETWEETS, AND I CORRECTED THE [4:40] RECORD AND SAID THAT THEY WERE [4:42] NOT ENDORSING THE TITLE. [4:43] THEY WERE RETWEETS OF A TITLE [4:45] THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN. [4:46] YOU KNOW, LOOK, THAT IS A VERY [4:50] TOUGH ROOM, AND I'VE KNOWN A LOT [4:52] OF PRESS SECRETARIES OVER THE [4:53] YEARS, AND FOLLOWING ON THE [4:55] HEELS OF CAROLINE LEVITT IS [4:56] VERY TOUGH. [4:57] AND SPEAKING FOR DONALD TRUMP [5:01] MAKES EVERYTHING TOUGHER. [5:02] WHY NOT JUST SAY I WENT TO [5:04] PEPPERDINE LAW SCHOOL AND THEN [5:05] TOOK A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH, [5:07] AND I TOOK THE BAR ONCE AND [5:09] DIDN'T PASS IT. [5:10] WHY GET INTO THIS LONG DRAWN [5:12] OUT DEFINITION BETWEEN THE [5:14] DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LAWYER [5:15] ATTORNEY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK [5:17] MOST PEOPLE SEE MUCH OF A [5:18] DISTINCTION. [5:19] WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY I NEVER [5:22] PRACTICED LAW? [5:23] WELL, SEAN, I, WHEN I MOVED [5:25] BACK FROM THE UNITED STATES, I [5:26] DIDN'T RETAKE THE BAR. [5:27] I HAD FOUR KIDS IN SIX YEARS. [5:28] IT WAS NEVER MY INTENT TO GO [5:30] INTO THE PRACTICE OF LAW. [5:31] WHEN I WAS AT, WHEN I WENT TO GO [5:33] ENGAGE IN MEDIA AND GIVE LEGAL [5:35] ANALYSIS, I CONSULTED [5:36] ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL [5:37] PROFESSIONALS AS TO WHETHER OR [5:38] NOT THEY AGREED THAT I COULD BE [5:40] LABELED A LAWYER, BOTH BECAUSE I [5:42] HAD A VALID JURIS DOCTOR FROM A [5:44] GOOD LAW SCHOOL, A REPUTABLE LAW [5:46] SCHOOL, PEPPERDINE LAW SCHOOL, [5:47] AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FACT [5:49] THAT I DID HAVE ACTUAL [5:51] SUBSIDIVE LEGAL EXPERIENCE. [5:53] I WASN'T PROVIDING ANY LEGAL [5:55] ANALYSIS, SEAN, OR, EXCUSE ME, [5:56] LEGAL ADVICE. [5:57] I WASN'T BEING PAID FOR LEGAL [5:58] ADVICE. [5:59] I WAS GIVING A GENERAL REVIEW OF [6:01] THE LEGAL CIRCUMSTANCES [6:02] SURROUNDING IT. [6:03] ALL RIGHT. [6:06] WHY ONLY THREE QUESTIONS IN 14 [6:08] MINUTES, AND WHAT MIGHT YOU DO [6:10] A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY GOING [6:11] FORWARD? [6:12] I CAN GIVE YOU SOME [6:14] UNSOLICITED ADVICE THAT'S NEVER [6:15] GOING TO BE A FRIENDLY ROOM TO [6:16] YOU. [6:17] YEAH. [6:18] SO WHAT I WHAT I WOULD SAY IS I [6:20] WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE VERY WELL [6:23] PREPARED ON THE BRIEFING, SEAN, [6:25] AND I WOULD LOVE AND I DO LOVE [6:28] QUESTIONS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO [6:29] BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL [6:31] OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PRESS [6:32] CORE, SO THERE IS A SUBSTANTIVE [6:35] COMPONENT TO US HAVING AN [6:37] ABILITY TO INTERACT, AND I WILL [6:39] BE VERY PREPARED, SEAN, AND I [6:41] WILL STEP UP TO THE DUTY OF [6:43] PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ASKED ME TO [6:44] AS PRESS SECRETARY. [6:45] ALL RIGHT, KATIE, WE WISH [6:48] YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR [6:50] NEW POSITION, AND WE DO [6:51] APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON. [6:52] THANK YOU. [6:53] ALL RIGHT. [6:54] THANKS FOR WATCHING. [6:55] CHECK OUT MY NEW PODCAST HANGING [6:57] OUT WITH ME, SEAN HANNITY. [6:58] THE BIG INTERVIEWS, THE DEBATES [6:59] YOU WON'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE. [7:00] LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES [7:02] EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY.