Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s new press secretary: ‘Her reading is good for an 11-year-old’
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Jimmy Kimmel mocked new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia after her first briefing, criticising her delivery, political record and answers to reporters. His remarks drew attention to the scrutiny facing a senior spokesperson whose first public appearance was widely portrayed in the article as awkward and confusing.
Zacharia’s briefing lasted 14 minutes, and she said she wanted to work for Donald Trump “for a very long time”. Kimmel also criticised her stilted reading and past comments, including support for the Pizzagate conspiracy theory and a claim that the film The Odyssey would not find an audience; the article says it earned $1.8bn. Asked where she had passed the bar exam, Zacharia replied, “I moved to China”, and the administration did not clarify when or where she qualified.
- Kimmel ridiculed Zacharia’s first White House press briefing.
- The briefing lasted 14 minutes and included an unclear answer about her legal qualification.
- The article cites her past conspiracy claims and a film prediction contradicted by $1.8bn in earnings.
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The White House press secretary is the administration’s main spokesperson to journalists. The role involves explaining the president’s policies, answering questions at briefings and communicating the White House’s position to the public.
Katie Zacharia is Donald Trump’s press secretary. Her political comments and professional background have drawn attention alongside her work in the role; Jimmy Kimmel is a television host who often comments on US politics in his comedy programme.
The position matters because journalists and the public rely on the press secretary for information about government decisions. How the spokesperson handles questions can shape what is known about the administration and how its messages are received.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A White House press secretary speaks for the administration, so her public delivery and ability to answer questions clearly are legitimate subjects of scrutiny. Kimmel’s mockery can be seen as political satire that draws attention to reported errors, unexplained qualifications and past statements, all of which may matter to public trust.
The case against
Mocking a spokesperson’s reading or manner risks turning scrutiny of her record into personal ridicule, especially after a first briefing that may not show how she will perform over time. Critics can argue that journalists and comedians should focus on verifiable claims and policy, while allowing room to clarify apparent mistakes and qualifications.
Full account
Jimmy Kimmel made Katie Zacharia’s first White House press briefing the subject of his Tuesday-night monologue, ridiculing her delivery and her early expressions of loyalty to President Donald Trump. The new press secretary’s debut lasted about 14 minutes, according to Source 1, which describes it as awkward and confusing. Kimmel joked that she had been hired to flatter Trump and singled out her statement that she hoped to work for him for “a very long time”.
Kimmel also played footage of Zacharia reading from prepared notes and mocked her fluency, saying her reading was at the level of an 11-year-old. He used clips of her past appearances on right-wing outlets to question her judgement, including a prediction that Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey would struggle because it was “woke”. Kimmel countered that the film had gone on to take about $1.8 billion, then called her first outing a “total disaster”.
The sources also draw attention to questions about Zacharia’s legal credentials, though they approach the issue differently. Source 1 says that after the briefing she was asked where she had passed the bar exam and replied, “I moved to China”; it reports that the administration did not clarify when or where she had qualified. Source 2 says researchers had been unable to verify her admission to a state bar, and recounts former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki raising the uncertainty on her programme. Zacharia told Fox News Digital that she had practised international transaction law with the appropriate credentials. The White House press office said she earned a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University in 2011, and the university confirmed her education.
The emphasis also differs: Source 1 centres on Kimmel’s comedy, including his insults about Zacharia’s past online claims and her appearance, while Source 2 focuses on Psaki’s criticism and the dispute over qualifications. It includes defences from the Republican National Committee and Pepperdine’s president, as well as Zacharia’s own response. The supplied reports therefore present a mix of satire, political rebuttal and unresolved questions about bar admission; neither account establishes that she lacked the credentials she says she holds.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 is an account of Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue and the briefing, highlighting his jokes about Zacharia’s reading, political history and bar-exam answer.
Source 2 focuses on Jen Psaki’s response and the uncertainty around Zacharia’s bar admission, while also including statements defending her experience and education.
Source 1 says the administration declined to specify where or when Zacharia passed the bar; Source 2 reports that Zacharia said she had the appropriate credentials and that Pepperdine confirmed her law degree, but does not establish her bar admission.