{
  "id": 14909004,
  "title": "Trump’s new press secretary says China lacked ‘proper’ toilets",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets-14909004",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T07:35:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/16/trump-s-new-press-secretary-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, appointed less than a week ago, made a controversial statement during an interview, claiming that China lacked proper toilets. Zacharia, who is 41, is facing scrutiny over her legal credentials after giving an unclear answer about where she passed the bar exam, which is a requirement for legal practice in the US. Previously living in China, Zacharia recalled her perception in 2016 that China would soon surpass the US. She told right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec, \"How is China the next country on the horizon? They don't even have proper toilets.\" No immediate response was provided by Chinese authorities. Despite Trump's reported positive relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Zacharia faced criticism for her remarks. She made her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, answering questions from only three journalists. Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down to care for her children. Describing herself as a lawyer and listing herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit, Zacharia also mentioned working at a law firm in Beijing. When questioned about her legal background, she stated that she registered for the bar exam but was overwhelmed by the plans to move to China with her husband and could not retake the exam after returning to the US due to her first child's birth.",
  "summary": "Katie Zacharia, appointed less than a week ago, faces scrutiny over her legal credentials after giving an inconclusive answer about where she passed the bar exam.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Trump's new press secretary says China lacked 'proper' toilets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets",
        "published": "2026-10-16T06:30:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Trump’s new press secretary says China lacked ‘proper’ toilets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-says-china-lacked-proper-toilets-14907484",
        "published": "2026-10-16T07:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "\"Don't Have Proper Toilets\": Trump's New Press Secretary On Her Time In China",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/dont-have-proper-toilets-trumps-new-press-secretary-on-her-time-in",
        "published": "2026-10-16T08:15:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia defends ‘lawyer’ title despite failing bar exam",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/trumps-new-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-defends-lawyer-title",
        "published": "2026-10-16T08:49:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "China tells Trump’s press secretary to visit more often after ‘proper toilets’ jibe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/china-tells-trumps-press-secretary-to-visit-more-often-after-proper",
        "published": "2026-10-16T09:00:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "New Trump press secretary says she did not pass bar exam",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/new-trump-press-secretary-says-she-did-not-pass-bar-exam",
        "published": "2026-10-16T09:21:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}