Donald Trump has spent years shouting that Americans should buy American. He tells people to avoid foreign products and to support homegrown companies. He even slapped heavy tariffs on goods from Europe so people would think twice before buying them. But inside Trump’s own White House, that message just got tossed out the window.
Leavitt, who is only 27 and soon turning 28, walked into what looked like a harmless little office surprise. Her staff had balloons, cake, and decorations waiting. People clapped, cheered, and sang “Happy Birthday.” Leavitt laughed and tried to play it off, saying, “This is so embarrassing.”
But the real embarrassment was not the singing. It was the gift. Sitting on a chair was a bright orange Louis Vuitton bag. Anyone who knows luxury brands knows that color. It screams French designer.
SURPRISE PARTY FOR KAROLINE
Inside Karoline Leavitt’s glamorous
White House birthday bash.. complete with Louis Vuitton gift pic.twitter.com/YlJEmF0TDg— Simo Saadi🇺🇸🇲🇦 (@Simo7809957085) August 21, 2025
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Yes, while Trump is busy trying to block imports, his own Press Secretary is unwrapping a handbag made in Europe. So much for America First.
Trump has made “Buy American” his rallying cry. He talks about it at rallies. He tweets about it at 3 a.m. He brags that his tariffs are saving American workers. One of those tariffs is a 15% tax on goods from the European Union. Louis Vuitton was directly hit. The company even had to raise prices in the United States to deal with it.
So in theory, White House staff should have been careful not to hand over a French luxury bag at a birthday party. In practice, they gave Leavitt the exact thing Trump claims he is fighting against.
And this is not Leavitt’s first time showing off her love for the brand. She has posted pictures of her handbags on Instagram before. She clearly enjoys Louis Vuitton and does not care much about whether it fits into her boss’s big economic mission. In fact, she looks proud of it.
Trump’s message has always been clear. Support American factories. Support American jobs. Support American companies. But what happens when his own staff ignores the script? The message loses its power. Ordinary people start to see the gap between what Trump says and what his team actually does.
Featured image via X screengrab
