Why Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has become an unlikely online star in China

Chinese social media users see White House press secretary as role model for her assertive tone and ability to juggle motherhood and career

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At 27 years old, Karoline Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in history. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:00pm, 13 Mar 2025Updated: 4:44pm, 13 Mar 2025

As Beijing and Washington lock horns in a bitter trade war, a close aide to US President Donald Trump has gained surprising popularity among internet users in China.

Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, has emerged as an online celebrity in China over the past month after video clips of the 27-year-old confronting US journalists spread on social media.

Some said they found her ability to combine motherhood and career appealing, while others said her calm yet assertive tone when defending Trump’s controversial policies set an example for how to be both young and strong in the workplace.

“She’s really blonde, beautiful and eloquent,” wrote Zhang Jieyi, a social media user in Shandong province.

“Look at the eloquence and temperament of this beautiful spokesperson, there is no frustration but only calmness, being assertive without being rude and pushy,” Zhang said in a post accompanying a 43-second video.

The clip showed Leavitt taking a question last month about whether Trump would attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner after it was announced comedian Amber Ruffin would be the featured entertainer. Ruffin has called the US leader a “toddler with his pants pulled down”.