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Zacharia confirms she did not pass bar exam

Katie Zacharia made the admission late Thursday, after her legal background was questioned in her first week; the president had described her as an attorney.

On air: Chip Darnell and Dale Bearman on BBN Overnight
Published 12:25 AM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: The White House · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Dale Bearman on this story, from BBN Overnight at 12:25 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Hill's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: The White House · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Katie Zacharia — Photo: The White House · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The Hill: “Zacharia confirms she did not pass bar exam”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 12:25 AM ET on BBN Overnight, by Chip Darnell and Dale Bearman.
Topics: Katie Zacharia.
BBN covered this story before: Katie Zacharia defends her short first briefing and her law… (October 15).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The HillZacharia confirms she did not pass bar exam

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Hill reports White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said late Thursday that she did not pass the bar exam.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorHer legal background was questioned in her first week, and she had previously claimed to be a lawyer.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorBut the president called her an attorney.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorHe did, and that's part of why the question came up.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorDoes this affect me? I'm a British man asleep in a studio.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorProbably not directly. It's a credentials question about whoever speaks for the White House, so it's mostly about what you can trust from the podium.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorWhat happens next? Can she retake it, like a driving test?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNobody knows yet, Dale.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe data doesn't say what comes next, and she's still on her first week. Rex has sports, and he never needed a test to talk for a living.

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