What to Know
Michelle Obama might have once said that when they go low, you should go high. But when it comes to Karoline Leavitt, her critics are not above going low just to poke fun at her, especially given her own tactics in using “your mom” jokes and targeting the fashion of other women in politics. The latter was, of course, Leavitt’s claim about New York City Major Zohran Mamdani‘s wife’s designer boots.
When Leavitt spoke to the press on Jan. 7, 2026 in a pink Chanel suit, people couldn’t help but compare her to someone who speaks for another supreme leader, er, I mean leader of a country. People who saw the wardrobe similarity posted about Leavitt’s outfit’s resemblance to the one often worn by North Korea’s on-air anchor Ri Chun-hee on social media.
Karoline Leavitt’s outfit bore a resemblance to a North Korean news anchor.
Leavitt was wearing Ri Chun-hee's outfit today
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 7, 2026
(photo via Getty) pic.twitter.com/xXO5RkLwJL
When Leavitt spoke to reporters in a press briefing, she wore a pink suit with a black turtleneck underneath it. Ri often wears a pink and black outfit herself when she reports on North Korean news in the country under Kim Jong Un’s rule. With Donald Trump’s critics often comparing him and his ideals to that of a dictator, the comparison between Leavitt’s outfit choice and Chun-hee was a no-brainer.
One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Karoline Leavitt says she admires Ri Chun-hee for her strict views on dictatorship and would love to be as strong as she is.”
When someone else posted about the similar outfits, other users replied to the X post with thoughts of their own regarding Leavitt’s decision to wear that pink Chanel suit.
“It’s Propaganda Princess Pink,” one user wrote. Honestly, that should probably be the name of the makeup palette if Leavitt ever does a collab with a beauty brand.
Another person threw some serious shade with, “At least she’s dressed appropriately for the part she plays.”
Ri serves as the primary anchor for North Korea’s news network Korean Central Television (KCTV). According to The Guardian, she has served as an on-air face for the station since the 70’s. She often pops back in from time to time to share updates on political and military information for the country.
Leavitt’s role in the United States government is different, in a way. She is the press secretary rather than a member of the press. But in North Korea, television is state-run, per the Associated Press. So in a way, Leavitt’s comparison to Ri from North Korea is kind of spot on, being that both women act as mouthpieces for the leaders of their respective countries.
