The latest White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's stint qualified to be the shortest tenure ever for the position, but what it has highlighted is the critical role that the fourth pillar of a democracy plays in holding up accountability under authoritarian regimes like Donald Trump's.

The lady came to be appointed on the representation of being an attorney and was also endorsed as such by the President himself in a Truth Social post. 

She then came under the scanner after she replied, "When I moved to China", on being questioned about when and which state she passed the Bar in.

An unforgiving scrutiny by various media outlets and complaints by watchdog groups followed, after which Zacharia not only quickly backed off from her claim of having passed the Bar Exam in China, but even reportedly said in a phone call with The New York Times (TNYT) that she "assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’”

“That’s all I could hear over the sound of Marine One,” Zacharia told TNYT.

However, the takeaway from Zacharia's stint was not the embarrassment she brought upon herself and the White House, but the absolute lack of accountability in those holding positions of power in the federal government under the Donald Trump-led GOP.

The Misrepresentation 

Donald Trump was not merely technically incorrect while calling her "an attorney", he qualified for misrepresentation.

He announced the selection of Katie Zacharia as the new White House Press Secretary via Truth Social on October 9.

“It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia,” the president wrote in a social media post on Truth Social. He mentioned that Katie was a "native of California (...), a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University, and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law", and "an attorney". 

But subsequent research into Katie’s academic background by the media and activist groups revealed that while she graduated from a law school, she had not passed the Bar Exam in any US state. A law-graduate is referred as a lawyer or attorney only after passing the Bar Exam.

It was concerning that the President of the United States himself had officially misrepresented the qualifications of his hire.

How many more misrepresentations must Americans bear with?

The Hiring Point 

Ultimately, though, it became apparent that Trump had placed her on the position not because of her professional/ educational qualifications at all. 

On the same post, Trump reported Katie had been his loyal and brilliant campaign supporter, and a devoted fan and member of MAGA.

“She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!”, he mentioned. So this was the “qualification” required for the role?

Meanwhile Trump banned CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House for negative coverage of him

Even as he surrounds himself with loyalists, Trump is fighting a lawsuit brought by CNN, Politico, and MS NOW for banning them from the White House without observing due process.

While he called them "fake news" (it is easy to see if one is not wearing MAGA-tinted glasses) that what he actually disapproved of was their accurate reporting. His snapping at CNN's Kaitlan Collins was just another instance of his frustration at the truth being called out by these outlets.

For a President so concerned about “fake news” and true reporting, it is shocking that his administration embraced a person (Katie Zacharia) who actively misrepresented her professional qualifications for a key post such as the Press Secretary.

Donald Trump's two-faced reality

The Press Secretary issue ultimately only highlighted Donald Trump’s two-faced approach - what he likes becomes legit, what he doesn’t approve of becomes “fake”, regardless of actual facts.

With such serious misrepresentations overlooked by the Trump administration, it is wondered what more has been swept under the carpet, hidden from public view.