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Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Is Going Viral in China – For All the Wrong Reasons

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In a recent fashion faux pas, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt found herself at the center of controversy after wearing a designer dress reportedly featuring trim manufactured in China. This choice raised eyebrows given the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies, including a proposed 145% tariff on Chinese goods. The incident underscores the complexities and contradictions inherent in global supply chains and political messaging.

Leavitt’s dress, identified as a piece from the U.K.-based brand Self-Portrait, became the subject of scrutiny when a Chinese diplomat highlighted the origin of its trim on social media. Supporters attempted to deflect criticism by suggesting the dress was a counterfeit, inadvertently pointing to the prevalence of Chinese manufacturing in the fashion industry.

Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhishen shared an image of Leavitt wearing the dress on X/Twitter along with screenshots from Weibo (China’s Facebook equivalent) of users discussing it as it was recognized by one of the factory’s employees.

Alongside the images, they wrote: “Accusing China is business. Buying China is life.

“The beautiful lace on the dress was recognized by an employee of a Chinese company as its product.”

It seems Leavitt wore the dress on January 31st for the White House’s daily press briefing. And, at the time of writing, she can also be seen wearing it in her Instagram profile picture.

Zhishen continued, claiming that the dress was from the brand called Self Portrait which had it manufactured in China.

In a post, they wrote: “Self Portrait, brand registered in UK, created by a Malaysian Chinese designer, made in China.”

The apparent hypocrisy of the White House slapping a 125 per cent tariff on goods being imported in from China as the press secretary has worn clothes allegedly manufactured there was not lost.

“You can’t make this up,” one person said.

Another said: “This is what you call hypocrisy.”

Some have claimed that the item may have been mistaken for a company producing a knockoff version, but many pointed out that, regardless, lots of clothing is manufactured in China.

“Why doesn’t Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wear only made in America clothes? Talk is cheap. Manufacturing is hard,” someone wrote.

The incident has sparked discussions about the importance of consistency between public figures’ actions and the policies they endorse. It serves as a reminder of the need for awareness and coherence in the messaging and practices of those in positions of influence.

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