Launch of Branded Apparel Featuring Initials, Active Promotion
White House: "No Ban on Filming... No Issue"
Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, has sparked controversy by promoting her own clothing brand against the backdrop of the White House.
According to international media outlets such as CNN and HuffPost, Kai Trump, the daughter of President Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr., recently launched a clothing brand featuring her initials, "KT."
Kai posted photos on her social media showing herself walking through the White House corridors in a white sweatshirt, posing like a model, as well as a video of herself teeing off on the White House lawn and saying, "Check out the back and sleeves of the shirt. Isn't it cool?" She also actively promoted the brand at the Ryder Cup, an international golf tournament she attended with President Trump.
On September 25 (local time), she wrote on her social media, "This collection is something I have dreamed of for a long time, and I am grateful to finally share it with the world. I look forward to seeing how you style it." The items are currently being sold on an online store for $130 (approximately 180,000 won).
Commercial Use Controversy... White House Says "No Ban on Filming, No Issue"
However, international netizens have criticized Kai's actions, saying, "Using the White House to promote clothing is inappropriate," and "It is improper to use the presidency as a marketing tool." Critics have also pointed out that this is not different from previous instances where the Trump family leveraged the presidency and political status for commercial purposes.
President Trump has previously faced criticism for using his political influence to expand his real estate and cryptocurrency businesses, while his eldest daughter Ivanka Trump also shut down her namesake clothing brand in 2018 amid public backlash, after running it since 2007.
As the controversy grew, the White House issued a statement. According to U.S. online media outlet The Daily Beast, a White House spokesperson said, "There are no regulations prohibiting filming inside the White House, and the U.S. government has not endorsed (Kai Trump's) products, so there is no issue."
Kai, the eldest daughter of Trump Jr., is currently an influential social media influencer. She has 1 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, 890,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), 2.23 million followers on Instagram, and 3.3 million followers on TikTok.
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