As the US and China Engage in a Trade War, Karoline Leavitt’s Outfit Sparks Debate on Chinese Social Media
Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for Donald Trump, gained attention on Chinese social media — all because of her choice of attire.
Amid an intense trade battle between the United States and China, characterized by high tariffs on products exchanged between the two nations, the red dress with black details worn by Leavitt during a press conference caught the attention of Weibo users, a popular social media platform in China.
The dress was recognized by an employee of a factory in Mabu, China, as being made there. The information quickly spread after Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhishen shared a photo of Leavitt wearing the dress on X (formerly Twitter), along with screenshots of Weibo conversations discussing the garment’s origin.
Self Portrait, brand registered in UK, created by a Malaysian Chinese designer, made in China. pic.twitter.com/t5L18KM3Rl
— Zhang Zhisheng 张志昇 (@salahzhang) April 15, 2025
“Accusing China is business. Buying from China is life,” read one of the posts, highlighting the irony of the situation. “The beautiful lace of the dress was identified by a worker as a product from their factory.”
According to Zhishen, the dress is from the brand Self Portrait — registered in the UK, created by a Malaysian Chinese designer, and produced in China.
Leavitt wore the dress on January 31 during a press conference at the White House, and it also appears in her Instagram profile picture. The incident highlighted the potential hypocrisy of the US government, which imposes tariffs of up to 125% on Chinese products, while its representatives use goods allegedly made in China.
This is what you call hypocrisy. https://t.co/NYsPQd6x6Q
— ANNU ✨ (@learner_ant) April 15, 2025
Source and images: Indy 100 / X. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
