THE ROAD TO HYPOCRISY

Katie Zacharia Busted for Being a Repeat Driving Menace

The new White House press secretary lectured dangerous drivers on Fox News the same day she was scheduled to complete traffic school.

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has been busted for three traffic violations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since 2023, according to the independent news site L.A. Material.

At least two of the citations were for using her phone while driving, the outlet reported.

The 41-year-old Southern California native received her first ticket in Los Angeles County in June 2023 and was assigned a traffic school course.

Play Video

L.A. Material reports that Zacharia was pulled over less than two months later in a nearby suburb, for driving her SUV while holding a phone. The mother of four initially pled not guilty but switched her plea after several court hearings.

Zacharia failed to finish traffic school on time and was slapped with a $266 fine, according to L.A. Material.

In June 2025, Zacharia was stopped again for using her phone while driving. Weeks later, on the same day she was due to complete traffic school, she stopped by Fox News to slam L.A.’s “brazen” and “callous” takeover drivers.

“They do not care about human life,” she told host Trace Gallagher. “You cannot do this any longer without facing consequences.”

Zacharia, a former conservative commentator, has faced scrutiny from administration insiders and critics alike since stepping into the role of press secretary earlier this week.

At an awkward first press briefing on Tuesday, she relied heavily on a script and appeared to confuse her husband with the president.

Zacharia, who graduated from Pepperdine University’s Caruso Law School in 2011, also sidestepped questions from reporters about her legal background, refusing to say where she passed the bar exam.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that Zacharia sat for the bar exam after graduating law school, but didn’t pass.

Zacharia has marketed herself as a lawyer for years. In California, it is illegal to say you practice law without a license.

On Wednesday, an ethics watchdog filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association saying Zacharia may have violated state law.

Zacharia told The New York Times on Thursday that she consulted with Pepperdine’s president when she began appearing as a commentator on news shows.

According to Zacharia, the president told her she could refer to herself as a “lawyer” but not an “attorney” or “esquire.”

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Evgenia AnastasakosBreaking News Intern

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.