Karoline Leavitt uploads a cheerful Instagram snap, showing off her armful of popular Korean beauty products while tagging along with Trump in Korea. Her post goes viral, with fans calling her genuinely relatable. Comments gush: Thank you to this American girl for the free K-Beauty ad! Word is, sales of these brands tripled overnight.
Who’s Leavitt, anyway? She’s the White House Press Secretary, just 28 years old. As Trump puts it, “She's a star, and she's great. I don't think anybody has ever had a better press secretary than Karoline. She's been amazing.” Leavitt also made headlines for becoming the first U.S. government spokesperson to hit reporters with a cheeky “Your mom!” when asked a serious question.
Leavitt’s Korean honeymoon lasted all of three days. Suddenly, she’s under fire—not for another “mom” diss, but because her K-Beauty shopping spree was, apparently, too much. Angry voices thundered: Millions of Americans are still scrambling for their next meal, and you’re a White House bigshot flaunting your haul? Disgusting! Remember, Leavitt’s supposed to be a MAGA missionary—so the critics say, Hey, wasn’t it all about buying American? Why hype Korean brands? Of course, freedom-loving types jumped to her defense: She’s spending her own cash — what’s the problem? Still, it’s hard for some to swallow her snapping up so many high-value goodies abroad.
When “Shopping” Sends Political Shockwaves
Other voices chime in with more nuance: “It’s all Trump’s fault—his short-sighted trade war left no winners. U.S. prices keep climbing, so Leavitt, a White House official, jets off to Korea and snags budget K-Beauty products, while ordinary Americans are stuck with sky-high domestic prices. It’s miserable! Pay attention to how Americans actually feel.”
Former President Obama recently sounded alarm bells on social media: Over 47 million Americans are struggling with food insecurity, including a staggering 20% of children. His worry? The U.S. cost of living is spiraling, more families than ever are relying on relief, yet both major parties are locked in endless legal and political battles over aid. Obama warns: “Millions of kids, seniors, and low-income Americans will go hungry ahead of the holidays.”
Poverty Lines and Power Play
Poverty. It’s the first thing leaders should fix.
Let’s rewind a bit. Back at the start of Lunar New Year in 2021, on the eve of the Lantern Festival, China held a grand celebration. President Xi Jinping declared total victory in the nation’s fight against poverty—a feat he called a “miracle on earth.” When the BBC reported this, their tone was bittersweet. The stats quoted from Chinese officials were staggering: “All 98.99 million rural poor lifted out of poverty, all 832 impoverished counties delisted, all 128,000 poor villages off the map, and regional poverty solved.” The BBC then rolled out every metric and definition under the sun to analyze “poverty.”
But really, why try to read the Western mind? Forget it—let’s shift focus to Europe and America instead.
According to the BBC: “The UK will continue to see a big rise in the number of people living in poverty, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The study said 2.2 million children and two million working age adults were living in absolute poverty in 2009–10. In percentage terms, 17% of UK children were living in absolute poverty in 2009–10. By 2012–13, the IFS predicts this will rise to 21.8%.” The report further explains: It’s all in how you define poverty.
So, what about the United States? There, poverty is measured similarly. American scholars have written that if judged by the UN’s absolute poverty line standard, most Euro-American countries would not have a single poor person. Yet in reality, even America—the world's largest economy—officially recognizes about 17% of its population as poor.
So, why juggle numbers and tweak definitions just to spin a prettier picture for yourself? Start with public sentiment instead. “Leavitt’s K-Beauty episode” is enough to capture America today. Think back—would anyone have cared about White House officials bargain hunting in Korea during the 1990s dot-com heyday?
America’s poverty may need “scientific” measurement, but one fact is obvious: Americans feel poor enough to resent it — wow!
Deep Blue
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
At the beginning of the new year, Donald Trump has single-handedly changed the United States, and the global landscape may also be reshaped. First, he declared that as Commander-in-Chief, the President’s authority is limited only by his own morality. Later, he posted an image on his social platform Truth Social with the caption “Acting President of Venezuela”. The New York Times directly questioned: “Does this mean ignoring international law and acting without any constraints to invade other countries?” Regarding international law, Trump stated, “I abide by it,” but made it clear that when such constraints apply to the United States, he would be the ultimate arbiter.
On January 7, 2026, the President signed a presidential memorandum ordering the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 United Nations entities and multiple major international agreements. This action is aimed at exiting organizations deemed by the White House to be “contrary to U.S. interests” and a waste of taxpayer funds. The UN bodies to be withdrawn from include UN Women, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Law Commission.
Clearly, Trump has a unique blueprint that serves only American interests. He might retort: “What era is this, still talking about international law and core values? Don’t you know the current state of the U.S.? Don’t you know that the U.S. has long been planning drastic actions?”
In April 2020, retired U.S. Marine Corps officer Mark Cancian proposed a bold strategy. The National Interest reported: “With a coastline of 9,000 miles and the world’s second-largest merchant fleet after Greece, including Hong Kong, China has over 4,000 ships. This is not an advantage but a vulnerability. The U.S. could effectively blockade China’s economy by launching a clever campaign, leaving it exhausted.” The suggestion was for the U.S. to emulate 16th-century Britain by supporting privateers—civilian organizations specialized in plundering Chinese merchant ships. Given China’s current military capabilities, it should be able to meet such challenges, so there’s no need to worry. Still, one can’t help but applaud the audacity of such an idea.
Back then, Biden paid no attention to this plan, as the Democrats were still refined and attached great importance to the cloak of universal values. At the same time, Biden, at least nominally, had to pay lip service to the United Nations, because ideology mattered. The U.S. had previously displayed a magical logic: attacking you to save your people, destroying your country to introduce democracy and freedom, imposing sanctions because you’re a dictatorship... Trump cannot be like ordinary advocates of universal values, who always cite international law and classical references. First, neither he nor his team possess such knowledge. Second, pretending to uphold morality can no longer maximize American interests. Third, former adversaries have “risen,” gradually establishing international moral authority. If the U.S. continues to preach benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, it will only become a laughingstock. After all, Trump has already discarded America’s credibility like trash.
Retired officer Cancian’s plan is exactly the White House’s cup of tea. For context—in the 16th century, Britain supported privateers, civilian organizations that plundered rival nations’ merchant ships. This was essentially the legalization of piracy, with the British monarch issuing “letters of marque” to recruit outlaws for royal service, dubbing them “royal pirates.” These privateers helped Britain destroy the then-dominant Spain at sea, significantly boosting British power and laying the foundation for the Industrial Revolution.
In reality, Trump has already begun “highway robbery” operations, seizing multiple cargo ships in the Caribbean. The White House has also dropped the pretense. Foreign media reported that Deputy Chief of Staff Miller recently declared: “The only permissible maritime energy transportation must comply with U.S. law and national security.” This is no different from robbery—“This mountain is my domain, these trees are my planting; if you wish to pass, leave your toll.” The only difference is that the U.S. is not just a bandit but a pirate. Similarly, Trump and Cheng Yaojin from the Dramatized History of Sui and Tang Dynasties share the title of “Chaos Demon King.”
Next, following the “Trump Gold Card,” Trump could publicly issue “letters of marque,” auctioning them to the highest bidder, and even list them on Wall Street. Their valuation might surpass that of the “Seven Sisters” oil companies—who knows?
