Gavin Newsom revives Barack Obama’s tan suit controversy to mock Karoline Leavitt’s outfit choice

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: California Gov Gavin Newsom took a swipe at White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Jan 15 by resurrecting one of conservative media’s most infamous flashpoints: former President Barack Obama’s tan suit.

Newsom posted a side-by-side image on X comparing Leavitt’s outfit from Thursday’s White House press briefing- a tan blazer paired with her signature cross necklace with a decade-old photo of Obama wearing a tan suit during a 2014 press appearance.

A callback to a conservative meltdown

As he posted the two pictures on X, Gavin Newsom asked, “Who wore it better?” to the social media users.

Newsom’s post referenced a moment that previously sparked days of conservative outrage but went unnoticed when repeated by Leavitt.

Obama’s decision to wear a tan suit while addressing the nation on US military action against ISIS became an outsized political controversy in 2014 with conservative commentators and Republican lawmakers portraying the wardrobe choice as evidence of presidential unseriousness.

Many devoted hours to criticizing the suit’s color arguing it was inappropriate for a discussion of national security. Several GOP figures publicly complained that the outfit undermined the dignity of the office.

Former Rep Peter King said at the time that Obama looked like he was “heading to a party in the Hamptons,” while Fox Business host Lou Dobbs called the appearance “shocking” to viewers.

Barack Obama later embraced the joke

Obama himself later leaned into the episode, using it as a punchline during his final press conference in 2017.

“Let me start out by saying that I was sorely tempted to wear a tan suit today,” he joked.

Years later, he revived the moment again on social media, posting a split image of himself in the tan suit alongside then-Vice President Kamala Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

“How it started. How it’s going,” Obama wrote in a post that drew tens of millions of views, adding, “Ten years later, and it’s still a good look!”

Newsom’s post appeared designed to underline what Democrats see as a double standard- one in which a fashion choice once treated as a national scandal now goes unnoticed when worn by a Trump spokesperson.

Karoline Leavitt's press brief

Leavitt’s briefing on Thursday covered serious and controversial topics, including escalating tensions in Minnesota amid increased ICE activity and President Donald Trump’s comments on midterm elections.

Leavitt also sharply rebuked a veteran reporter who pressed her on the administration’s handling of the fatal shooting of Renee Good, who was killed inside her SUV by an ICE agent during an enforcement action.

Despite the gravity of the subjects discussed, Leavitt’s appearance sparked no comparable outrage over presentation.