Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, has unexpectedly become a trending topic on Chinese social media—thanks to her choice of outfit.
Amid an ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China—marked by steep tariffs on goods exchanged between the two nations—a red dress with black detailing worn by Leavitt during a press conference caught the attention of users on Weibo, one of China’s most popular platforms.
— 裙下之臣 (@SkirtWorshipper) April 15, 2025
A worker at a factory in Mabu, China, claimed to recognize the dress as being made there. The news quickly went viral after Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhishen shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a photo of Leavitt in the dress along with screenshots from Weibo discussions about its origin.
“Blaming China is business. Buying from China is life,” read one of the widely shared posts, pointing out the irony of the situation. “The delicate lace of the dress was identified by a worker as a product of their factory.”
According to Zhang, the dress is from the British brand Self-Portrait, founded by a Malaysian Chinese designer, and manufactured in China.
This is what you call hypocrisy. https://t.co/NYsPQd6x6Q
— ANNU ✨ (@learner_ant) April 15, 2025
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
Leavitt wore the dress on January 31 during a White House press briefing and is also seen wearing it in her Instagram profile photo. The incident has drawn attention to what some see as a contradiction: while the U.S. government imposes tariffs of up to 125% on Chinese products, its representatives are seen wearing items allegedly made in China.
