Katie Zacharia's driving record shows three traffic violations since 2023
WASHINGTON, DC: Katie Zacharia's brief stint as White House press secretary came to an end on Friday, October 16, after just five days in the role. Her departure followed mounting questions about her legal credentials, reports of three traffic citations since 2023 and a turbulent first press briefing.
President Donald Trump reportedly urged Zacharia to reconsider the position as media scrutiny intensified. Her exit leaves the White House without its top spokesperson as Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections.
Katie Zacharia's reported traffic violations draw attention
Zacharia, 41, reportedly received three traffic citations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties between 2023 and 2025, according to the independent news site LA Material. At least two of the citations involved using a phone while driving, the outlet reported.
Her first ticket was issued in Los Angeles County in June 2023, after which she was assigned a traffic school course. Less than two months later, she was reportedly stopped again while driving her SUV and holding a phone.
Zacharia initially pleaded not guilty but later changed her plea after several court hearings. According to LA Material, she failed to complete traffic school by the deadline and received a $266 fine.
In June 2025, she was reportedly stopped again for using her phone while driving. Weeks later, on the same day she was due to complete traffic school, Zacharia appeared on Fox News to criticise reckless driving in Los Angeles.
"They do not care about human life," she told host Trace Gallagher, referring to the drivers she was discussing. "You cannot do this any longer without facing consequences."
Katie Zacharia faced questions about her legal credentials
Zacharia's professional background had also come under scrutiny before her departure. She graduated from Pepperdine University's Caruso Law School in 2011 and had presented herself as a lawyer for years.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported that she sat for the bar exam after graduating but did not pass. During her first press briefing, Zacharia also faced questions about her legal background but declined to say where she had passed the bar exam.
On Wednesday, an ethics watchdog filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association, alleging that she may have violated state law through her claims about her legal credentials.
Zacharia later addressed the issue in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, October 15. She said she had consulted Pepperdine's president when she began appearing as a commentator on news programmes.
According to Zacharia, the president told her she could refer to herself as a "lawyer" but not an "attorney" or "esquire."
Katie Zacharia's White House tenure ends after five days
Zacharia's appointment was already facing scrutiny following her first press briefing on Tuesday.
She relied heavily on a script and appeared to confuse her husband with the president, according to reports about the briefing.
Her departure on Friday, October 16, came after the controversies surrounding her professional background and reported driving record drew further attention.
Trump had reportedly urged Zacharia to reconsider taking the position amid the media scrutiny. The president also said he was in no rush to name a replacement.
