White House press secretary faces flak over ‘Made in China’ dress
- 14 hours ago
Gulf Today Report
US President Donald Trump keeps harping on the ‘Make in America’ theme, vociferously clamping down on nations with tariffs on imports to enable local manufacture of goods. There is plenty of ‘Make America Great Again’ merchandise around being sold like hot cakes. But are the rules being broken in his own backyard? If media feedback is to be believed, yes, particularly where clothes are concerned.
According to a report in a section of the Indian media, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been roundly criticised by internet users after she appeared in a dress reportedly made in China.
The vitriol followed Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhisheng posting a picture of the dress on social media, marking the irony behind the Trump regime’s tough stance on China.
Zhang, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Denpasar, Indonesia, shared an image of Leavitt wearing the dress and cited a Weibo user who claimed the lace was manufactured in a Chinese factory in Mabu.
"Accusing China is business. Buying in China is life. The beautiful lace on the dress was recognised by an employee of a Chinese company as its product," Zhang posted on X.
The post picked up pace on social media, triggering a nasty whirlwind. Leavitt was charged with double standards for wearing a Chinese-made dress while promoting nationalistic trade policies. "Leavitt slams Made in China while rocking a Chinese-made dress, hypocrisy much?... Classic politician move: blame China, but keep the cheap goods," one user wrote.
Another remarked, "How does Karoline Leavitt manage the crushing irony of slamming 'Made in China' while strutting in a gorgeous Chinese-made lace dress at the White House podium?"
However, diehard supporters of the Trump bandwagon trashed the allegations, claiming the dress might not be of Chinese origin.
"Fake news. She's wearing the French original whereas the advert shows a Chinese copy. It's funny indeed, but the spin of the tweet is dishonest," one wrote.
Others said it could not be the genuine article. "Chinese people are notorious for bootleg clothes. It's more likely that they copied a luxury brand's jacket," another user said.