Donald Trump wants Americans to buy American, but Karoline Leavitt appeared to score a French luxury gift for her birthday.
White House staff threw a surprise birthday party for the press secretary Thursday, captured in a video posted to Instagram by Trump’s communications advisor Margo Martin.
Leavitt, who turns 28 on Sunday and is the youngest person in U.S. history to hold her post, happily exclaims, “This is so embarrassing,” as she enters a festively decorated room while staffers sing “Happy Birthday.”
Balloons and several gifts are arranged on a chair, one of which appears to be a gift bag from French designer brand Louis Vuitton—easily recognizable by its saffron-colored paper and dark blue handles.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Trump has waged a global trade war, slapping tariffs on longtime allies to reshape international commerce in favor of American companies. Louis Vuitton—as it’s name suggests—is not among them.
The designer brand is owned by LVMH, a French luxury goods conglomerate based in Paris and chaired by French billionaire Bernard Arnault—a friend of Trump’s.
However, Louis Vuitton was not spared from Trump’s taxes on goods coming from the European Union. When the president implemented a 15 percent baseline tariff rate, the company resorted to increasing the price of one of its most popular handbags in the U.S.
Leavitt, who frequently flaunts her Louis Vuitton purchases on Instagram, may have found the birthday gift a welcome reprieve from the cost of her administration’s tariffs.
Depending on the contents of the bag, however, the gift may have also been manufactured in the U.S., where Louis Vuitton operates three workshops.
According to its website, the American workshops only contribute to its leather goods collections, with other items, such as its ready-to-wear and jewelry collections, made in France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.
In July, Arnault announced plans for a new Louis Vuitton factory near Dallas, Texas.
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