Photo via The Straits Times

Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked ‘proper toilets’

Read the original at The Straits Times ↗
Cite

The Straits Times. (2026, October 15). Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked ‘proper toilets’. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/trumps-new-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Straits Times · collected 2026-10-15 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

Katie Zacharia, Trump’s new press secretary, criticized China during an interview on October 15 by stating that the country lacks "proper toilets," which could draw more scrutiny towards her position. Zacharia, who lived in China after graduating from Pepperdine Law School in 2011, also faced criticism for calling herself a lawyer despite not passing California’s bar exam. This comes at odds with Trump's warm relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping and amidst questions about her qualifications following a halting first press briefing where she interacted with only three journalists.
Written by AI on 2026-10-15, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump, sparked controversy on October 15 during an interview with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec by denigrating China, stating that they "don’t even have proper toilets." Zacharia, who previously lived and worked in China from 2011 to 2013 at the Zhong Lun law firm after graduating from Pepperdine Law School in California, made these remarks while discussing perceptions around 2016 when many thought China was poised to surpass the United States.

Her comments contrast with Trump's efforts to maintain warm ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Shortly after Zacharia’s controversial statements, on October 16, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Mao Ning, responded by inviting Zacharia to visit China more often when she has the opportunity. Despite this invitation, Zacharia was ousted from her role as White House Press Secretary less than a week later following further criticism of her performance and qualifications.

Written for “China Invites Press Secretary After Slur” on 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 China Invites Press Secretary After Slur
Politics · 5 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 7% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked 'proper' toilets Same event
Euronews
Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 60/100
China asks Katie Zacharia to visit more often as press secretary says China did not have proper toilets Same event
Times of India
Hedges 2 of 21 claims Outlet record 59/100
Trump’s new spokeswoman is a ‘devoted fan’ who lived in Beijing and speaks Chinese Different event
South China Morning Post
Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 62/100
“The articles describe different aspects of the new spokeswoman's tenure: one focuses on her background and qualifications, while the other reports a comment she made denigrating China during an interview.”
Trump’s China-savvy spokeswoman, Hong Kong trail emergencies: 5 weekend reads you missed Different event
South China Morning Post
Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 62/100
“The articles describe different events: one is a collection of weekend reads and the other reports on Katie Zacharia's comments about China.”
Trump pick Zacharia gets off to bumpy start in unusual first press briefing: ‘My president, I mean my husband’ Different event
The Independent
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 15 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different events involving Katie Zacharia as press secretary: one about a bumpy first briefing where she made mistakes, and another about a later interview where she commented on China.”
Katie Zacharia, Trump's new White House press secretary, makes a brief appearance before reporters Different event
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The first article describes Katie Zacharia's initial appearance as White House press secretary for a brief Q&A session with reporters on October 13, while the second article reports on comments she made about China during an interview on October 15.”
Enter the Zachbot: Trump’s new press secretary malfunctions on podium debut Different event
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 2 of 38 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different incidents occurring at separate times: Article A covers Zacharia's debut as press secretary on October 13th, while Article B reports her comments about China on October 15th.”
7 Things to Know About the New Insane White House Press Secretary Different event
Zeteo
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 0 of 4 claims
“The articles describe different events involving Katie Zacharia as press secretary: Article A describes her first press briefing which was brief and marked by errors, while Article B reports on a later interview where she made comments about China.”
Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia says she passed bar exam in China, raising eyebrows Different event
South China Morning Post
Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 62/100
“The articles describe different statements made by Katie Zacharia on separate occasions.”
New White House spokeswoman Katie Zacharia heavy on Trump praise, light on questions in debut Different event
The Straits Times
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 20 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different events: Article A covers Zacharia's debut briefing on Oct 13, while Article B discusses her remarks about China in an interview on Oct 15.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
1 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
5
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-15 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 4448 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)
2026-10-30
Number of residents leaving Oleshky still unclear, Kyiv says
2026-10-21
X Community Notes ‘failed’ to flag US election falsehoods, study says
2026-10-04
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution
2026-10-03
US prison chief resigns after failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike
2026-09-13
Russia hits Ukrainian-Polish border area, Kyiv says

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
2940 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The game, a remake of a classic 1990s edition, will be released gradually across the world as part of the 40th anniversary of the saga.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Gamers set for Zelda remake to hit the shelves
🔮 France braces for fresh protests as Macron seeks to prevent repeat of October unrest PARIS, Nov 5 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to march through French cities and public workers to strike on Thursday, in a fresh test for President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of unrest that have rattled his government and dominated the agenda five months ahead of a presidential election.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · France braces for fresh protests as Macron seeks to prevent repeat of October unrest
🔮 Now, at 80, he is confronting one he would rather not: A lame duck.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · US midterms: Trump confronts a new role as a lame duck facing a hostile congress
🔮 ANC narrowly leads DA in early South Africa municipal election results JOHANNESBURG, Nov 5 - South Africa's African National Congress led in early results from municipal elections on Thursday but with a sharply reduced share of the vote, although counting was still at a preliminary stage and the picture could change significantly.
2026-11-05 · mixed framing · ANC narrowly leads DA in early South Africa municipal election results
🔮 Carney has argued that relations between Canada and the United States have been permanently altered and that pre-Trump tariff-free relations will not return.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Canada unveils budget to curb reliance on US
🔮 But sources said Trump could still replace Hegseth as Republicans assess their losses.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Trump says Hegseth doing ‘a very good job’ as questions swirl about Defense Secretary’s future
🔮 Democrats will now have the power to block Trump’s legislation, investigate his administration and challenge his nominees.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · US midterms: Republicans call for Trump to change course after midterm drubbing
🔮 NASA said it expected the frictional heat of re-entry would incinerate most of the satellite well above Earth’s surface, with some fragments surviving the plunge, though the US space agency reported no damage or injuries on the ground from falling debris.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · NASA’s 22-year-old Swift satellite telescope falls from orbit in fiery finale
🔮 Still, their initial enthusiasm failed to manifest at the polls on Nov 3, after the town’s mayor and local chamber of commerce urged voters to reject the measure.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Only one town out of dozens in US voted in favour of data centres
🔮 The ability of newly elected officials to shape legislation, control congressional committee agendas, direct government spending and influence party leadership will depend on the institutions they enter, the coalitions they build and the balance of power within their parties, political experts said.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democratic victories bring historic breakthroughs for women and minorities
Also by The Straits Times
France braces for fresh protests as Macron seeks to prevent repeat of October unrest
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Gamers set for Zelda remake to hit the shelves
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
ANC narrowly leads DA in early South Africa municipal election results
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
US midterms: Trump confronts a new role as a lame duck facing a hostile congress
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 2940 articles by The Straits Times →

Topics

America California China WASHINGTON White House

Subjects

China GPE · 6× Trump PERSON · 6× Zacharia PERSON · 5× California GPE · 2× Katie Zacharia PERSON · 2× WASHINGTON GPE · 2× White House ORG · 2× America GPE · 1× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Jack Posobiec PERSON · 1×

Narrative

The Trump White House has sought to maintain stable ties with Beijing and on Xi’s last visit to Washington he received perks including an in-person airport greeting from Trump, a state dinner and a tour of the presidential helicopter.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-15
🔮 White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia denigrated China in an interview on Oct 15, remarks that could invite more scrutiny on the newly appointed chief spokesperson for President Donald Trump.
2026-10-15 · The Straits Times
Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked ‘proper toilets’ · assertive framing

Claims (15 extracted, 1 hedged)

Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked ‘proper toilets’ AI generated WASHINGTON - asserted
China → say → toilets
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia denigrated China in an interview on Oct 15, remarks that could invite more scrutiny on the newly appointed chief spokesperson for President Donald Trump. uncertain
that → denigrate → Trump
Zacharia, who previously lived in China, was asked in an interview on Oct 15 how she balances her personal life with her work responsibilities. asserted
she → live → responsibilities
That led to a lengthy response in which she said Trump’s 2016 victory put America back on the path to greatness. asserted
victory → lead → greatness
“I remember this very distinctly, having just come from China, thinking, ‘How is China the next country on the horizon? asserted
China → remember → horizon
They don’t even have proper toilets’,” Zacharia said in an interview with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec. asserted
Zacharia → have → Posobiec
Zacharia previously lived in China with her husband, moving to the country after graduating in 2011 from Pepperdine Law School in California and subsequently working at the Zhong Lun law firm. asserted
Zacharia → live → firm
The two leaders have already hosted each other in 2026, and have pledged to meet twice more before year’s end. asserted
leaders → host → end
The Trump White House has sought to maintain stable ties with Beijing and on Xi’s last visit to Washington he received perks including an in-person airport greeting from Trump, a state dinner and a tour of the presidential helicopter. asserted
he → seek → helicopter
The press secretary has faced scrutiny after a first press briefing in which she read haltingly from a script and took questions from only three journalists. asserted
she → face → journalists
Zacharia is also facing questions over her legal career. asserted
Zacharia → face → career
Trump in announcing her appointment described her as “an attorney”, but she acknowledged on Oct 15 that she hadn’t passed the bar exam in California. asserted
she → announce → California
Zacharia in the Oct 15 interview said that she had consulted with “many people in the field”, who she said told her “you can call yourself a lawyer”. asserted
you → say → yourself
She added that “I was very careful how I executed this, and I never came across as someone who was an attorney-at-law”. asserted
who → add → law
The White House has defended her credentials, with communications director Steven Cheung saying “she is uniquely qualified and whip smart”. asserted
she → defend → credentials
💬Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

🕘History 🎫Support
Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0
Articles to 5 Nov 2026