Karoline Leavitt Goes After Rama Duwaji’s Look, Only to Get Dragged After Close-Ups Exposed Her Beauty Secret
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s brief foray into fashion commentary was short-lived after she faced backlash for criticizing New York City first lady Rama Duwaji over the designer boots she wore to her husband Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
Mamdani was sworn in as New York’s 112th mayor at a disused subway station, where he took the oath of office on a Quran and pledged to govern openly as a democratic socialist.
During the monumental ceremony, Mamdani’s 28-year-old wife stood by his side wearing a pair of $630 Miista boots, black knee-length shorts, and a Balenciaga wool coat. Her boots featured a low, sculpted block heel and a decorative vertical lace-up design along the back.
While many praised Duwaji’s understated look as chic and stylish, Leavitt focused on the price of the footwear, framing the outfit as evidence that Mamdani’s left-leaning affordability agenda was hypocritical.
On Friday, Jan. 2, Leavitt took to Instagram story to share an image from the ceremony and voice her opinion about the first lady’s footwear.
“They want New Yorkers to hand over more than half their income to the government – while she wears designer boots worth your weekly paycheck. Classic Communists – rules for you, but not for them. There are reasons Communism has failed everywhere it’s been tried. Good luck, New York,” she wrote alongside a picture from the New York Post.
Leavitt, who is known for wearing flashy designer clothing, Gucci attire, and shoes, was quickly met with criticism on social media, with many questioning her audacity and calling out what they described as hypocrisy.
“Why is the WH Press Sec concerned about what the NY mayor’s spouse is wearing? These are not serious people,” one person wrote on Threads after The Daily Beast shared the story.
Other comments shifted toward the cost of Leavitt’s alleged plastic surgery, which several users claimed far exceeded the price of Duwaji’s boots.
“I bet it cost more for her Botox injections. By the time KKKAROLYIN is 40 she’s going to look 60,” one follower said.
A second person added, “Her boots costs less than her botched lip filler.”
A fourth commenter wrote, “Karoline Leavitt speaking about Rama Dujawi’s $630 boots is funny because Leavitt is likely wearing double that amount in her lips alone.”
Criticism of Leavitt’s appearance gained even more traction after users pointed out that both women are 28 years old, though many remarked that the mayor’s wife appeared significantly younger.
After a viral TikTok highlighted the contrast between the two women’s looks, followers reacted quickly.
“Stop! One looks 23 and one looks 42,” one user commented, while another asked, “Why does Rama look sooo much younger and Karoline looks like she’s 50?”
Leavitt’s critique was further undermined by a Substack entry from New York stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who styled Duwaji for the ceremony at the request of Mamdani’s senior adviser.
In her Jan. 1 entry, Karefa-Johnson shared behind-the-scenes context about Duwaji’s wardrobe.
“I’m just going to have to get comfortable with the fact that people on the internet do not understand what being lent a SAMPLE that has been borrowed before and will be borrowed again means but, you know what, that’s okay,” Karefa-Johnson wrote of Duwaji’s outfit.
“I love that she added a new chapter to garments that have already lived many lives — and that their next wearers will get to share in this piece of history,” she added.
Duwaji was photographed in the same black boots in photos from her and Mamdani’s wedding day. The two married in March 2025 after meeting on the Hinge dating app during the pandemic.
