New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked 'proper' toilets

Read the original at Euronews ↗
Cite

Blackburn, G. (2026, October 16). New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked 'proper' toilets. Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/16/new-white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets

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

Euronews · collected 2026-10-16 · by Gavin Blackburn

Quick Summary

Katie Zacharia, recently appointed as White House press secretary, faced criticism after a Thursday interview where she commented on the quality of toilets in China from her experience living there in 2016. The article also highlights concerns about Zacharia's legal qualifications, noting her ambiguous answers regarding passing the bar exam and practicing law in the United States.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-16, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump, sparked controversy when she denigrated China during an interview on October 15. Zacharia, who previously lived in China and worked at Zhong Lun law firm after graduating from Pepperdine Law School in California in 2011, said, "How is China the next country on the horizon? They don't even have proper toilets." These remarks come amid efforts by Trump to maintain stable ties with Beijing, including hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering him perks like an airport greeting and a state dinner. Zacharia's comments could invite further scrutiny over her qualifications as press secretary, following questions about where she passed the bar exam in the United States.

Written for “Trump's Press Secretary Criticizes China” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 84185: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-16

Story

📰 Trump's Press Secretary Criticizes China
Politics · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked ‘proper toilets’ same event · 95%
The Straits Times · 0.94 cosine similarity
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 7% hedged 1 of 15 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles describe Katie Zacharia's denigration of China regarding toilets during an interview on October 15, 2026.”
White House defends new press secretary amid questions about her legal credentials different event · 90%
BBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 17% hedged 4 of 24 📰 publisher trust 72
“The articles discuss different aspects of Katie Zacharia's tenure as White House Press Secretary and do not describe the same specific incident.”
Enter the Zachbot: Trump’s new press secretary malfunctions on podium debut different event · 85%
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans strongly left 🔴 5% hedged 2 of 38 📰 publisher trust 68
“The articles describe different parts of the same person's tenure: Article A covers her debut as press secretary, while Article B describes a subsequent controversial statement she made.”
Self-described 'lawyer' Katie Zacharia defends legal credentials different event · 80%
ABC News (AU)
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 29 📰 publisher trust 70
“The articles describe different aspects of Katie Zacharia's time as White House press secretary, but do not focus on a single incident at the same place and time.”
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's legal career draws scrutiny different event · 50%
The Hindu
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 17% hedged 4 of 23 📰 publisher trust 95
“While both articles discuss Katie Zacharia's legal credentials and her appointment as White House Press Secretary, they describe different aspects of the scrutiny surrounding her qualifications. Article A focuses on questions about her bar membership status, while Article B discusses a specific comment she made regarding China's toilets.”
Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia hints she regrets taking questions in rocky first briefing as Sean Hannity grills her on 'lawyer' claims different event · 50%
Daily Mail
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 30 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles describe different incidents involving Katie Zacharia: one regarding her performance at a press briefing and handling of questions, and another about her comments on China's toilets.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
16
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
60/100
Euronews's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-16 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Euronews · 844 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 1 correction(s)
2026-10-01
Death-row inmate Christa Pike seen during murder trial

Who wrote this

Gavin Blackburn
50 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The press secretary, who previously lived in China, recalled in an interview that the perception in 2016 was that China would soon overtake the United States. "
2026-10-16 · assertive framing · New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked 'proper' toilets
🔮 The governor’s office said education would be suspended Thursday and some state employees would be placed on leave.
2026-10-15 · assertive framing · At least two killed after heavy rain and widespread flooding causes Istanbul shutdown
🔮 The move came just hours before the start of the defence's arguments in the sprawling corruption trial of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and some 400 other defendants.
2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Turkish police take pro-opposition channel Halk TV off air and arrest 11 in Istanbul raid
🔮 The centre counts seven inmates whose executions could not be carried out because medical staff were unable to establish IV lines, but "Pike is the first person to survive after being injected with lethal doses of execution drugs." Late on Thursday, US President Donald Trump questioned how an execution like Pike's could fail, telling reporters that it "shouldn't be very difficult." 'Loudly snoring' The case had already attracted scrutiny as Pike would have been the first woman put to death in Tennessee in more than 200 years.
2026-10-02 · assertive framing · Christa Pike in critical condition after Tennessee botched execution, lawyer says
🔮 US President Donald Trump warned on Thursday that Iran will be "hit very hard" if it is found to be linked to a pilot's attack on a flydubai flight to Israel.
2026-10-02 · assertive framing · Trump vows to hit Iran 'very hard' if linked to flydubai pilot stabbing attack
🔮 South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that Seoul would take "further measures" if Ukraine refuses to publicly apologise over what he called its unilateral disclosure of North Korean POWs being sent to South Korea.
2026-10-02 · mixed framing · South Korea warns of 'further measures' if Ukraine refuses public apology over POW transfer disclosure
🔮 Netanyahu said he spoke with the UAE’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who agreed that Israel would join the interrogation of the suspect.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Attacker's identity and motive unknown after flydubai flight to Israel escapes disaster after pilot stabbed
🔮 During the livestream, an ambulance with its lights flashing could be seen leaving the site of the execution, it's unclear if it was transporting Pike.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · US death row inmate Christa Pike in hospital after surviving two lethal injections, lawyers say
🔮 "Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
2026-09-30 · assertive framing · Flydubai plane traveling to Israel diverted to Saudi Arabia after alleged dispute between pilots
🔮 The incident could further inflame tensions between the two Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as Pyongyang hardens its stance towards Seoul while expanding its military nuclear programme.
2026-09-30 · mixed framing · North Korea slams South's claim it was behind DMZ mine blasts, calling it a 'farce'
Also by Gavin Blackburn
At least two killed after heavy rain and widespread flooding causes Istanbul shutdown
2026-10-15 · Euronews
Turkish police take pro-opposition channel Halk TV off air and arrest 11 in Istanbul raid
2026-10-14 · Euronews
US actress Selma Blair accused of attacking cabin crew members on flight to New York
2026-10-13 · Euronews
Christa Pike in critical condition after Tennessee botched execution, lawyer says
2026-10-02 · Euronews
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 50 articles by Gavin Blackburn →

Topics

America China Chinese White House the United States

Subjects

China GPE · 7× Zacharia PERSON · 7× the United States GPE · 4× Chinese NORP · 2× Trump PERSON · 2× White House ORG · 2× America GPE · 1× Clinton PERSON · 1× Hillary PERSON · 1× Katie Zacharia PERSON · 1×

Narrative

During a Washington summit in September, the two leaders discussed topics ranging from AI and trade to the stalled war in Iran, and confirmed that they would meet for a third and fourth time this year.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-16
🔮 The press secretary, who previously lived in China, recalled in an interview that the perception in 2016 was that China would soon overtake the United States. "
2026-10-16 · Euronews
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says China lacked 'proper' toilets · assertive framing

Claims (16 extracted, 0 hedged)

Zacharia is already under scrutiny over her legal credentials, after giving an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practicing law in the United States. asserted
she → give → States
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, who was appointed less than a week ago, said China lacked "proper toilets" in an interview that aired on Thursday. asserted
that → appoint → Thursday
Zacharia, 41, is already under scrutiny over her legal credentials, after giving an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practicing law in the United States. asserted
she → give → States
The press secretary, who previously lived in China, recalled in an interview that the perception in 2016 was that China would soon overtake the United States. " asserted
China → live → States
We were all being told Hillary (Clinton) was going to win. asserted
Hillary → tell → ?
That China was on the horizon," Zacharia told right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec. asserted
Zacharia → tell → Posobiec
"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," she added. asserted
she → have → toilets
Trump has boasted about his "great relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping. asserted
Trump → boast → Jinping
During a Washington summit in September, the two leaders discussed topics ranging from AI and trade to the stalled war in Iran, and confirmed that they would meet for a third and fourth time this year. asserted
they → discuss → time
Zacharia held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday and only answered questions from three journalists. asserted
Zacharia → hold → journalists
She succeeded Karoline Leavitt, a loyal Trump supporter and often combative spokesperson, who stepped down in August to care for her young children. asserted
who → succeed → children
Zacharia has described herself as a lawyer and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative non-profit. asserted
Zacharia → describe → profit
She also said she had worked at a law firm in Beijing. asserted
she → say → Beijing
Asked about her legal background on Thursday, Zacharia said she had registered to take the bar exam but was then "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move with her husband to China. asserted
she → ask → China
Zacharia said that she did not retake the bar exam upon returning to the United States due to the birth of her first child. asserted
she → say → child
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