Fox News' Peter Doocy placed the White House on the spot on Wednesday and interrogated the interrogation of Elon Musk was allowed to dress casually in the Oval Office – only a few days after the Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zelensky was closed for his clothing during a speech visit.
During a tense exchange with press secretary Karoline Leavitt of the White House, DOOVITT explicitly asked: 'We know that some officials were crazy here that Zensky came last week without a suit before his meeting in the Oval Office, BUt Elon Musk never wears a suit. '
Leavitt, initially grinning about the question, seemed overwhelmed before he quickly defended the choices of Musk.
“He did that last night,” she replied, referring to the appearance of Musk in formal clothing at Tuesday evening from President Trump to the Congress.
But Doocy was not satisfied and continued: “So what is the dress code?”
Musk, a large federal contractor and a key figure in the push of the administration to beat government spending, was seen last month by the White House in his characteristic informal style – with a 'Tech Support' t -shirt under a blazer.
Yet his outfit hardly raised an eyebrow under conservatives.
In stark contrast, Zensky was confronted with direct criticism of his characteristic clothing in military style.
During his visit, Trump himself mocked the clothes of the war leader for the conservative reporter Brian Glenn – boyfriend of Gop Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – Grilled him downright.
Fox News' Peter Doocy challenged the secretary of the White House Pers Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday evening about the OVA Office code by Elon Musk
Elon Musk shows off his T-shirt and reads 'Tech Support' during the first cabinet meeting organized by US President Donald Trump, in the White House in Washington DC, February 26, 2025
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zenskyr, however, received a recoil for wearing casual clothing during a meeting in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025
In a fiery exchange on Friday Glenn, Chief White House Correspondent Real America's Voice, Zensky: 'Why don't you wear a suit?
'You are at the highest level in the office of this country and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you have a suit?
“Many Americans have problems, where you do not respect the dignity of this office.”
Zelensky, unclear, shot back that he will “wear a watch (Ukrainian for” suit “) after this war” and it would be “maybe something like yours, maybe something better, maybe a little cheaper.”
While the scale of the diplomatic fall -out is still to be seen, Glenn's rule of questions, who led to bring a diplomatic observer to describe the meeting as a 'planned political robbery', his status as the favorite journalist of the Trump Witte Huis cemented.
But in a sign of support towards Zensky, before the meeting escalated in a tense word war, Trump quickly came to the rescue and defended the President's clothing.
“By the way, I like your clothes,” Trump said. “I don't know if you like each other, but I think he (Zensky) is beautifully dressed.”
Trump's comments seemed to contradict that the US president was actually irritated by Zensky's clothing.
Advisors had encouraged the Ukrainian leader to wear a suit as a sign of respect when visiting the White House, sources told Axios.
Elon Musk wears his son on his shoulders in the Oval office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2025. He was seen with a black cap, black coat and a black T-shirt
But Zensky was forced to defend himself for wearing a black sweater and pants during his visit to the White House
And when Zensky arrived for the first time at the entrance of the west wing, dressed in a completely black outfit and jumper decorated with the Ukrainian trident, Trump seemed to mock him.
“He was all dressed today,” said the president, shook Zensky's hand.
The criticism of Glenn, who was one of the many Pro-Trump journalists who invited the President of the White House after the president's inauguration, was reflected by his partner.
Greene wrote on X shortly after the stock exchange: “I am so proud that I have pointed out that Zensky has so much respect for America that he cannot even wear a suit in the Oval Office if he comes beg for money from our president !!”
Others on social media also pointed out that when Elon Musk visited the Oval office with Trump last month, he did not wear a suit either.
During the exchange of Wednesday evening, Doocy then asked Leavitt of Musk 'shocking' by the return that Zensky received.
“No, I don't think so,” she replied.
“I just point out that he was wearing a suit last night. And I think the president really liked that – and he looked great. '
During the meeting, Brian Glenn (photo), Chief Witte Huis -Correspondent Real America's Voice, asked why Zensky did not wear a suit
Brian Glenn is the boyfriend of a congress member and closes Trump Ally Marjorie Taylor Greene. The pair was depicted together during a Pro-Trump rally in November 2024
Zensky, who said he will not wear suits until the war in Ukraine has ended, is worn a jacket and black top during a meeting with the French president and Trump in the Elysee Presidential Palace in December in December
In the past, Zensky has received similar criticism because of his outfits choice while attending important meetings with other world leaders.
In 2022, after the speech by Zensky on the American congress, commentator Tucker Carlson accused the Ukrainian leader of dressing as the 'manager of a strip club claiming money'.
In the meantime, supporters of Zensky have compared him instead with the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who also refused to wear a suit during a visit to the White House in the middle of the Second World War.
Musk was also recently seen in the White House with a black jacket, T-shirt, Maga Cap and Jeans, wore his four-year-old son on his shoulders.
The striking double standard raises questions about whether clothing codes in the White House are really about respect – or whether they are just another battlefield in the always political cultural wars of America.
