Did Musk Respond to the Zelensky Attire Controversy?
Musk, Known for His Casual Style,
Draws Attention by Wearing a Suit at Trump's Congressional Speech
After the 'attire controversy' during the summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), attracted attention by attending President Trump's first congressional speech of his second term dressed in a suit.
On the 4th (local time), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, dressed in a suit, greeted the attendees with a hand salute at the joint session of the U.S. Congress held by President Donald Trump. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
On the 4th (local time), Musk arrived at President Trump's first congressional speech of his second term wearing a suit with a blue tie and white shirt. He gave thumbs up with both hands to the attendees who welcomed him. When President Trump introduced him during the speech, Musk responded to the standing and applauding lawmakers with a salute.
Musk is known to prefer casual attire, often wearing T-shirts and baseball caps. In particular, at the first cabinet meeting of the second Trump administration on the 26th of last month, he attended wearing a T-shirt that said "tech support" and a baseball cap with Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again (MAGA)." His appearance in a suit at the speech venue is interpreted as a conscious response to the attire controversy that arose during the recent summit between Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Trump.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, and Donald Trump, President of the United States, held a summit at the White House on the 28th of last month. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, President Zelensky has consistently worn military-style clothing. At the U.S.-Ukraine summit on the 28th of last month, Zelensky appeared in military attire rather than a suit, prompting Trump to sarcastically say, "He is very well dressed." Musk also shared a video of the two shaking hands on X (formerly Twitter), adding a laughing emoji alongside Trump's comment "He is very well dressed" to mock the situation. During the summit, when an American reporter asked why Zelensky was not wearing a suit and inquired, "Does he even have a suit?" Zelensky responded with a displeased expression, saying, "I will wear a suit when the war ends." The two leaders were scheduled to hold a joint press conference after a luncheon meeting that day, but all plans were effectively canceled after a heated exchange during their opening remarks. As a result, President Zelensky had to leave the White House without having lunch.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is standing next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a press conference in the White House Oval Office on the 11th of last month (local time). He wore a black MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat and defended the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for about 30 minutes. His son, X Ash A Twelve, also accompanied him. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
At a White House press conference on the 5th, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked, "Everyone knows that President Zelensky appeared at the White House last week without wearing a suit, and Musk wore a suit last night. Is there a dress code for wearing suits?" White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt replied, "There is no dress code for wearing suits," adding, "Musk wore a suit last night, and the President seemed to really like that." When asked if Musk wore a suit after seeing Zelensky being turned away at the White House, Leavitt dismissed the suggestion, saying, "I don't think so."
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