We’ve all had bad days, Katie

On my first day working for a member of Congress, I got lost on the four-block walk from my new apartment to the Rayburn House Office Building, and arrived late. My new boss was not impressed.

I tell this story to make clear that the idea of a bad first day is not foreign to me.

Still, my shaky start did not make it into the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic, or New York magazine.

Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, cannot say the same.

As the mother of four, Zacharia is likely familiar with the children’s book “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” by Judith Viorst.

Now she’s more familiar with it.

Zacharia held her first press briefing, a painful 14 minutes during which she repeatedly extolled the glories of Donald Trump, likely violated the Hatch Act forbidding partisan activities by federal employees, and answered three questions from right-wing news outlets.

The headlines — oh, there are lots of headlines — range from euphemistic (“shaky”) to brutal: “amateur hour” … “malfunctions on podium debut.”

Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran, now an independent journalist, speaking to Jen Psaki on her MS NOW program, The Briefing, was both kind and cutting:

“I felt bad for her. She’s clearly not prepared. She was very nervous, and it’s a first day, so I’ll give her some slack.

“But what’s really happening here is, Trump talks about fake news. She’s a fake press secretary.”

Terry? Hold that thought … there’s more.

The headline on Judd Legum’s piece on Popular Information: “Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, claims she’s a lawyer. Is she?” Zacharia went to law school, but it’s unclear if she’s passed the bar exam — anywhere. It’s generally accepted that the terms “lawyer” and “attorney” apply to those who are licensed to practice law somewhere.

Lots of journalists joined the hunt, but like the mythical “snipe” in the TV series “Cheers,” no bar exam results have turned up.

Asked by reporters, Trump deferred to Zacharia, who said she passed the bar when she went to China. People who know about these things say, not possible.

Yikes.

It’s easy to pile on Zacharia at the moment and hard to be sympathetic. Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, was not a good-faith conveyor of accurate information, but she was good at it, judging by the consensus. Zacharia, at least Tuesday, was not.

One discussion of Zacharia’s prospects mentioned Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s 11-day communications director during his first term. You never want to be in the same sentence with him.

Whether Zacharia keeps her job is really beside the point. She’s not qualified by conventional standards, but that’s not how Trump will judge her.

Can she sing his praises, unburdened by nuance or fact?

Can she embody his disdain for the press — the very reason she has the job?

New York magazine: Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s Debut Was Pure Amateur Hour

The Guardian: Loves Trump, lies and conspiracies: Katie Zacharia is the perfect presidential press secretary

The Guardian: Enter the Zachbot: Trump’s new press secretary malfunctions on podium debut

Talking Points Memo: Your Quick Primer on Katie Zacharia’s False Claim to Have Taken the Bar in China

Zeteo: 7 Things to Know About the New Insane White House Press Secretary

The Washington Post: Katie Zacharia calls herself a lawyer. Legal experts aren’t sure.

The Atlantic: Hi, I’m Your New Press Secretary, and It’s My First Time Reading Words Out Loud