White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off the ‘unflattering’ photos Vanity Fair published by sharing her own glamorous behind-the-scene shots.
The 28-year-old posted photos to Instagram on Wednesday showing her wearing a cheetah print jacket in front of a camera with her hair perfectly curled at the end.
In one photo, she could be seen fixing up her hair, showing off her red-painted nails and her large wedding ring.
‘Behind the scenes of a live interview on the North Lawn of the White House,’ Leavitt captioned the pictures.
Her post came amid criticism of Vanity Fair for publishing an extreme close-up of her face in a damning article in which Chief of Staff Susie Wiles dished on President Donald Trump’s first year in office.
Leavitt’s fans have accused the publication of being negatively biased towards Trump’s staff in comparison to profiles published about former President Joe Biden.
‘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,’ White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the Daily Mail.
‘Karoline is a beautiful person and truly one of the most incredible people you will meet in politics, and she is doing an extraordinary job serving the American people as the White House Press Secretary.’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off the ‘unflattering’ photos Vanity Fair published by sharing her own glamorous behind-the-scene shots to Instagram on Wednesday
The images were a stark contrast to the extreme close-up of her face that Vanity Fair published
Social media users also jumped to Leavitt’s defense after the unsettling close-up was published on Instagram, with some calling Vanity Fair ‘liberal propaganda,’ and a ‘sorry excuse for journalism.’
‘Reality distortion machine,’ conservative commenter Benny Johnson posted to Instagram, along with screengrabs of the images. ‘Disgusting.’
‘That is insane, she’s gorgeous lol they had to work hard to make it look so unbelievable,’ one user wrote.
‘Karoline should take it as a compliment. They’re clearly threatened by her,’ declared someone else. ‘They know she’s stunning, and if she were on the other side, she’d be on the cover in a heartbeat. Love that she’s living rent free in all their heads.’
‘The extreme close up shows everyone just how beautiful Karoline really is! I wish I looked that good up close,’ gushed another.
‘Shameful Vanity Fair,’ wrote someone else. ‘Purposely creating flaws in a young professional woman simply because you don’t agree with her political views… talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth.’
‘Coming for a successful woman like this is so embarrassing,’ said another user.
Another person slammed Vanity Fair for the coverage, responding to a post Wiles made on X, formerly Twitter, about the article writing: ‘Why any conservative would think Vanity Fair would do a fair article is shocking. Of course, it will be negative with negative pictures, it is what they do.
‘Now a staff member of Biden’s or Obama’s would be “icons, stars in Dem party.”‘
Join the debate
How should the media balance fair coverage with critical reporting of political figures they disagree with?
After the photo was published, Leavitt’s fans accused the publication of being negatively biased towards Trump’s staff in comparison to profiles published about former President Joe Biden
But on Vanity Fair’s Instagram, many people mocked Leavitt, with one user asking ‘why does she look 50?’
Another said: ‘I am DECEASED!!!! The way I would enter a state of mania if this kind of closeup was posted of me!!! This will live forever and I LOVE it!!!’
Others claimed they could see lip-filler injection marks around her mouth.
‘Are those injection prick marks?’ asked one reader, with another commenting: ‘Genius. The injection marks really sing in this one!’
In September, a plastic surgeon weighed in on rumors surrounding Leavitt’s pout, telling the Daily Mail that whatever work Leavitt has had is quite subtle so far, if she’s even had any at all.
Dr. Jennifer Harrington even declared that the 28-year-old looked ‘amazing’ after viewing footage and photos of her.
‘She does appear in this interview to have enhanced fullness of her upper and lower lips, and her skin is flawless,’ said Harrington, the founder of Harrington + Associates Plastic Surgery in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Vanity Fair was criticized for its profile on Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (pictured), who candidly criticized the president, Vice President JD Vance, former ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk and other members of the administration
But the unsightly photo of Leavitt was not the only reason Vanity Fair was criticized for its profile on Wiles, who candidly criticized the president, Vice President JD Vance, former ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk and other members of the administration.
Wiles, 68, spoke with the publication over the course of the past year, likening Trump to her own late alcoholic father and legendary sportscaster Pat Summerall, saying the president has ‘an alcoholic’s personality.’
‘The president operates [with] a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing,’ Wiles told journalist Chris Whipple.
Notably, Trump does not drink and has spoken about losing his older brother, Fred, to addiction and alcoholism.
The chief of staff also dished on Vance, pointing out that he joined the MAGA movement late and had earlier criticized Trump.
The VP, she said, has also been ‘a conspiracy theorist for a decade.’
As the article then made waves in the administration, Trump insisted he understood what Wiles was trying to say.
He told the New York Post that he while he doesn’t drink alcohol, ‘I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do.
‘It’s a very possessive personality,’ he continued.
‘I’ve said that many times myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker,’ Trump told the Post.
President Donald Trump said he understood what Wiles was trying to say
‘If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that – what’s the word? Not possessive – possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before.’
The president did not respond to other portions of the two-part Vanity Fair series, saying he had not yet read it.
‘I didn’t read it, but I don’t read Vanity Fair – but she’s done a fantastic job,’ the president said of Wiles. ‘I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided.’
Leavitt used a similar line when she quickly addressed the controversy Tuesday afternoon 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, did not include the context those conversations were had within and then further, I think the most egregious part of this article was the bias of omission that was clearly present,’ the White House press secretary said.
She told reporters: ‘You will leave out important context, leave out comments and facts.’
