Updated October 16, 2026, 2:55 p.m. ET
For Katie Zacharia, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The former White House press secretary, who has come under scrutiny for her shaky early performance, responded to criticism in a recent interview on “Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec,” published Thursday (October 15).
Zacharia, whom President Donald Trump appointed on Oct. 9, launched the high-profile communications mission earlier this week, which included a rocky first press briefing with reporters widely mocked by Trump’s critics. On Friday, it was revealed that Zacharia had been fired from her position, with five sources close to the decision — including three senior White House officials — confirming to USA TODAY that she was “leaving” her position.
Zacharia’s infamous first briefing lasted only 14 minutes, consisting mostly of prepared remarks read from a binder. Zacharia only answered three questions and seemed uncomfortable at times. She was unable to answer a follow-up question about Ukraine and made a verbal error in referring to the president when she meant her husband.
Katie Zacharia hopes this A-list actress will portray her on ‘SNL’
Despite her controversial introduction to the national spotlight, Zacharia laughed about her struggles when asked which actor she would want to play her on “Saturday Night Live.” The NBC sketch comedy series frequently parodies the Trump administration, with James Austin Johnson’s Trump impersonations among fan favorites.
“I know it happens, yes. Maybe a Scarlett Johansson type character,” Zacharia told host Posobiec.
Johansson, who is married to longtime “SNL” cast member Colin Jost, has appeared on the show several times. In 2017, the Oscar-nominated actress parodied President Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, a role she reprized several times over the following years.
But Zacharia also made it clear that she wouldn’t be tuning in if “SNL” took over her White House role, adding that she’s “not watching anything right now except what (Trump) is doing.”
“I don’t want to see any of the other X, Instagram or TV right now,” Zacharia concluded.
Zacharia is also facing increasing scrutiny over his legal credentials.
Katie Zacharia explains bar exam scores and legal credentials
The former press secretary, a graduate of Pepperdine University Law School, said she was a lawyer in television appearances and in an earlier version of her biography
However, in a new interview with USA TODAY, Zacharia admitted that she never passed the bar exam and was not licensed to practice law.
She said she took the bar exam after graduating in 2011 and didn’t pass, then moved to China with her husband, Tyler. Zacharia said she worked on multimillion-dollar shareholder agreements for investments as part of the international practice team of a Chinese law firm.
“The bar exam scores were inconsequential because I was already moving to a foreign country that did not require it,” Zacharia said. She added that she also consulted with other lawyers and legal professionals, who agreed that she could describe herself as a lawyer because she had a law degree, noting that she provided legal analysis on television and not advice.
Campaign for Accountability, a watchdog group, filed a complaint against Zacharia with the State Bar of California on October 14, calling for an investigation into whether she violated California law “by repeatedly representing herself as an attorney.”
“Ms. Zacharia has repeatedly presented herself as a lawyer to bolster her reputation and credibility as a television legal commentator and now as a White House spokesperson, but it appears it was all a lie,” Michelle Kuppersmith, executive director of the Campaign for Accountability, said in a statement. “In California, calling yourself an unlicensed lawyer is not a joke; it is a crime.”
Contributor: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
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