White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly responded to what her supporters call 'unflattering' photographs published by Vanity Fair, by sharing a series of polished behind-the-scenes images to her own Instagram account.
A Stark Contrast in Imagery
The 28-year-old press secretary posted the photos on Wednesday, showing her preparing for a live interview on the North Lawn. In the shots, Leavitt wears a cheetah-print jacket, with her hair perfectly styled and red-painted nails on display. The images presented a deliberate contrast to an extreme close-up portrait of her face that accompanied a Vanity Fair article profiling Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Leavitt captioned her Instagram post, 'Behind the scenes of a live interview on the North Lawn of the White House.' Her move came amid significant backlash from Trump allies, who accused the publication of deliberate bias against the former president's staff.
Allegations of Media Bias and Online Defence
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the Daily Mail that Vanity Fair had acted with clear intent. 'It's clear that Vanity Fair intentionally photographed Karoline and the White House staff in bizarre ways, and deliberately edited the photos, to try to demean and embarrass them,' Rogers stated. She praised Leavitt as 'a beautiful person' and 'truly one of the most incredible people you will meet in politics.'
The response on social media was sharply divided. Many conservatives rallied to Leavitt's defence on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter. Commentator Benny Johnson labelled the magazine a 'reality distortion machine,' while other users accused Vanity Fair of 'liberal propaganda.' One supporter wrote, 'Karoline should take it as a compliment. They're clearly threatened by her.'
However, on Vanity Fair's own Instagram feed, some users mocked the press secretary's official photo. One asked 'why does she look 50?' while others speculated about cosmetic procedures, pointing to what they believed were lip-filler injection marks. In September, a plastic surgeon consulted by the Daily Mail suggested any work Leavitt may have had was subtle, with Dr. Jennifer Harrington stating the 28-year-old looked 'amazing.'
The Controversial Vanity Fair Profile
The unflattering photo was not the sole reason for criticism of the Vanity Fair piece. The article, based on interviews over the past year, featured Chief of Staff Susie Wiles offering candid critiques of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk.
Wiles, 68, likened Trump to her late alcoholic father and sportscaster Pat Summerall, stating the president has 'an alcoholic's personality.' She noted that Trump, who does not drink, operates with a view that 'there's nothing he can't do.' The chief of staff also commented on Vance, pointing out his late conversion to the MAGA movement and past criticism of Trump, labelling him 'a conspiracy theorist for a decade.'
President Trump addressed Wiles's comments to the New York Post, saying he understood her point. 'I've often said that if I did [drink], I'd have a very good chance of being an alcoholic,' Trump said, describing himself as having a 'possessive and addictive type personality.' He defended Wiles's performance, calling the Vanity Fair piece 'very misguided.'
Leavitt herself addressed the controversy on Tuesday, criticising the reporting as 'disingenuous.' She told reporters on the White House driveway, 'This is, unfortunately, another example of disingenuous reporting, where you have a reporter who took the chief of staff's words wildly out of context.' She accused the publication of 'bias of omission' for leaving out important facts and context.
The episode highlights the ongoing, deeply polarised relationship between the Trump administration and segments of the mainstream media, where imagery and personal portrayal become potent weapons in the political discourse.
