Trump's new press secretary faces mounting questions about resume | CBC News

No evidence so far that self-described lawyer has passed any state's bar exam

The new White House press secretary is facing mounting questions about her background and resume as she transitions into her role as the public face of the Trump administration.

The questions add to the confusion surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to hire Zacharia, who had worked for his social media company for only a few months when he announced her appointment and whose debut at the podium on Tuesday has been widely panned.

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China's notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizens.

"I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials," it read.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Zacharia has been the senior communications adviser at the Trump Media & Technology Group since June and spent two months as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this year.

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen speaking with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, with Zacharia looking on from nearby. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/The Associated Press)

From 2011 to 2013, it says, she served as an associate on the international practice team at the Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing. She also worked as the manager of fundraising and communications for Compassion for Migrant Children, which assists the children of migrant workers, from 2012 to 2013.

Neither the firm nor the two groups responded to questions about her tenure and background.

And her official author page at the California Globe, where she wrote occasional commentary, says that, in addition to being a "regular commentator on Fox News, Newsmax," she has "extensive experience in political advocacy, international corporate law, and non-profit work, including time as outside counsel for the World Bank and IFC in Beijing."

Zacharia fails to impress in brief debut as White House press secretary