White House defends Musk’s dress code after goading Zelensky for not wearing suit

The White House has come out in defense of Elon Musk’s casual work attire – days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was criticized for not wearing a suit to meet US President Donald Trump.

A senior White House correspondent raised the possible double standard five days after Zelensky arrived for peace negotiations in a long-sleeve black polo shirt with three buttons and the Ukrainian trident, and black pants.

‘We know some officials here were mad that Zelensky showed up last week without a suit for his meeting in the Oval Office,’ Fox News journalist Peter Doocy told Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday. ‘But Elon Musk never wears a suit.’

‘He did last night,’ Leavitt cut in, referring to Musk’s appearance at Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.

Doocy continued: ‘So what is the dress code?’

He also asked if Musk is ‘spooked about Zelensky getting kicked out’ of the Oval Office.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Leavitt.

‘I’m just pointing out that he did wear a suit last night. And I think the president liked that very much, and he looked great.’

She did not express any issues with Musk wearing a ‘tech support’ T-shirt and black MAGA hat to a meeting last week with Cabinet members all dressed at suit-and-tie level. Trump appointed Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut spending and jobs in the federal government.

Leavitt also did not voice any disapproval of a right-wing reporter calling out Zelensky for his wartime attire.

‘Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?’ chief White House correspondent Brian Glenn asked the Ukrainian president on Friday.

‘A lot of Americans have problems, with you not respecting the dignity of this office.’

Zelensky fired back that he would wear a ‘kostium’, which is Ukrainian for suit, ‘after this war will finish’ and that it ‘maybe something like yours, maybe something better, maybe something cheaper’.

Meanwhile, Trump appeared to be less bothered by how Zelensky dressed. The US president in greeting his counterpart remarked, ‘You’re all dressed today,’and it was not clear if he was being saracastic.

But Trump interjected into the Zelensky-Glenn clash by telling the latter, ‘I do like your clothing by the way.’

‘I don’t know if you two like each other, but I think he is dressed beautifully,’ Trump said of Zelensky.

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