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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Karoline Leavitt's change in appearance has attracted scrutiny from online commentators.
The White House press secretary was pictured without her cross necklace while speaking about Jeffrey Epstein, sparking conspiracy theories about her intentions.
Why It Matters
Leavitt has been outspoken about her faith. She has worn a cross necklace in multiple press briefings as well as TV interviews. In a February interview with The New York Post, Leavitt said: "My Christian faith is a huge part of my life. My faith, my marriage, my family life - it's everything to me."
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What To Know
Some social media users baselessly suggested Leavitt's choice to wear a necklace or not coincide with her talking about the Jeffrey Epstein files.
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Trump's administration ordered a review of the case with a view to the publication of names and evidence about the associates of Epstein, a wealthy financier who died by suicide in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. However, a memo by the Department of Justice and the F.B.I. now states there is no "client list," and there will be no more charges. This has triggered a backlash among those who wanted transparency about Epstein.
However, Leavitt doesn't always wear her necklace and has been pictured without it on numerous other occasions, according to a Newsweek review of the White House YouTube channel and Getty images. There is no evidence that Leavitt's lack of necklace has anything to do with the Epstein saga.
What People Are Saying
One X user posted: "Interesting that Karoline Leavitt took off her cross today while talking about the Epstein files."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday: "The Trump administration is committed to truth and to transparency. That's why the attorney general and the FBI director pledged at the president's direction to do an exhaustive review of all of the files related to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and his death. And they put out a memo in conclusion of that review. There was material they did not release because frankly it was incredibly graphic and it contained child pornography which is not something that's appropriate for public consumption. But they committed to an exhaustive investigation. That's what they did and they provided the results of that. That's transparency."
What Happens Next
The frequency with which Leavitt will wear her necklace remains to be seen. Internet commentary about this will doubtless continue. Meanwhile, backlash to the administration regarding the so-called Epstein client list also prevails.
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