Kayleigh McEnany, U.S. President Donald Trump’s new press secretary, has admitted that she failed to pass the bar exam required to obtain a license to practice law. She made this disclosure after questions arose regarding her professional qualifications, given that she had previously identified herself as a “lawyer” on various occasions.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, host Sean Hannity asked her whether she had taken the bar exam and failed. McEnany replied, “Yes.” She further stated that she did not sit for the exam a second time. The 41-year-old McEnany graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011.
In another interview, McEnany explained that she was under significant mental stress during the time of the exam because she planned to move to China with her husband. Believing she would not need to practice law there, she did not attach much importance to the exam results. Later, she worked on business law at a law firm in Beijing.
McEnany claimed that many in the legal profession had told her she could identify herself as a lawyer based on her law degree and work experience. However, she noted that she could provide legal analysis rather than legal advice.
Meanwhile, the “Campaign for Accountability,” an organization focused on political accountability, has called on the California Bar Association to investigate the matter. The organization asserts that identifying oneself as a lawyer without a license is a crime in California.
McEnany held her first White House press briefing last Tuesday. She succeeded Karoline Leavitt, a close supporter of Trump. Leavitt had stepped down last August to attend to family responsibilities and care for her children.
