Once more, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was under the spotlight, not because she said something controversial this time, but because of something she wore. Leavitt managed to get away with what appeared to be an innocent photograph that she posted over the weekend on Instagram, but alert fans began to pick up on an element of the photograph that reignited an online firestorm.
The snapshot surfaced only a few days after Leavitt had said something impudent as a reaction against what a French politician had long said that America should give up the Statue of Liberty, which is given as a gift by France. Leavitt had no use of minces. She turned around and responded, quite sharply to make headlines: My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to emphasize that the French are not speaking German now, thanks to the United States of America. To His great country they owed much.”
The reaction sparked off intense debate throughout social media. However, it was the flashy bauble on her arm that was seen as the most controversial item, even though her very unapologetic patriotism also received praise before critics.
The now-viral photo shows that Leavitt carries a Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM tote, a handbag by one of the most recognized fashion designing brands in France, costing more than 2000 dollars. Critics did not lose the irony. One of the users added, So, France is awful… and you are still wearing their designer bags? Similar sentiments were echoed by other people, who wondered about the uniformity of her messages.
Nonetheless, Leavitt found her supporters and was swiftly defended irrespective of the backlash. One of the followers expressed her gratitude by saying, thank you for standing your ground and making our country proud. Another shared she was impressed with her confidence and professionalism, her words were as follows, “Karoline, you look totally fabulous–grace and grit combined in one bundle.”
Leavitt is the youngest Press Secretary in the history of the White House being 27 years old. Her advance has not been without criticism especially by people that question her age and advancement. However, she is not distracted as she prefers to concentrate on her duties and young family.
Instead of contributing to the online discourse, Leavitt used the weekend to stay at home with her son and share heartfelt moments providing the insight into her personal life. In one of the posts, the toddler was shown standing next to her at the kitchen counter joining in the muffin baking. Its caption said, Sunday morning muffins with my sous chef. Later on in one photo, her son was being pushed in a stroller by his great-grandmother with a caption that read, “Niko being pushed by his great grandma!”
Even as the pundits still dissected her fashion sense, Leavitt seemed fine in letting her actions to do more talking than the noise was doing. Handbags and headlines are the concentration of critics but she is seen serving in the administration and building a family.
In the era of a clash of politics and personal style that has never been more rampant, Leavitts weekend serves as a reminder that in the limelight, leaders are under a microscope-yet the reaction is usually more telling than the controversy.
