White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt became the center of attention not over what she said but what she wore once again. Leavitt shared an apparently harmless photo on Instagram during the weekend, and sharp-eyed fans soon noticed one detail that then caused a surge of online comments.
The photo followed days after Leavitt made the radical statements in reaction to a French politician who claims that the United States should give back the Statue of Liberty which it once accepted the statue as a gift of a French politician. Leavitt was not the one to mince words. In a caustic response that has become a headline, she added, My response to that low level French politician would be to remind him or sho that we have saved them the bother of speaking German at the moment because of the United States of America. To our great country they ought to feel much indebted.”
The reaction sparked controversial debates throughout the social network. However, as much as her strong-minded patriotism was commendable by her fans, it was the high-end accessory that appeared on her arm that got most heads twisting.
As may be seen in the now-viral photo, Leavitt is holding a Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM bag one of the most famous designer flawlessly distributed companies in France, selling in excess of two thousand dollars. Critics did not lose the irony. “So, France is awful but we are still sporting their designer bags?”, replied one of the users. Other people chimed in with similar sentiments asking the question of consistency of her messaging.
Even against the backlash, Leavitt had professional supporters who came to her defense very fast. One of her followers commented, saying, Thank you because you have stood up and represented our country with class. Another complimented her on the fact that she was so self-assured and professional, commenting “Karoline, you look simply amazing and all that grace and grit in one fine package.”
Leavitt is the youngest Press Secretary to occupy a post in the White House history at the age of 27. She has risen to prominence amidst all the criticism especially by those who have been concerned about her youthfulness and experience. But she does not break, instead, she concentrates on duties and her young family.
Instead of contributing to the discussion online, Leavitt chose to stay home with her son and share an insight into her personal life with touching moments. One of them was of the toddler standing next to her at the kitchen table and helping to make muffins. The title was, Sunday morning muffins with my sous chef. The other photograph exposed her son riding in a stroller pulled by her great-grandmother, with the caption, Niko being pulled by his great grandma!
As pundits kept analyzing her fashion choices, Leavitt had chosen to be satisfied with allowing her actions to do the talking compared to the rattle. She continues to be involved in the service of the administration, taking care of a family amidst critics who are gearing towards handbags and headlines.
Living in the era when the politics and personal styles clash more than ever, Leavitt weekends can remind us all that living in the spotlight can be stressful, but often the reaction of the people to the event matters more than the event itself.