By Kashmira Konduparty
An Instagram video posted by Sri Lankan American social media influencer Ella Devi drew attention online after she claimed that the right-wing media outlets began publishing articles about her following the comments she made criticizing the outfit worn by Jennifer Rauchet, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s wife, to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
It all began with a post Devi, 18, made on X stating that Rauchet wore a dress from the Chinese-owned marketplace Temu to a dinner at the White House.
She further elaborated the post saying “if you’re married to the guy who takes an aggressive ‘America first’ position and anti-China stance in foreign policy, you should not be wearing clothing imported from China.”
The controversy emerged amid ongoing political tensions online surrounding consumer choices, nationalism and public figures associated with the Trump administration.
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Discussions about products manufactured in China have frequently become part of a wider debate over “America First” policies particularly when critics point to perceived inconsistencies between political messaging and personal behavior.
Social media users on both sides of the debate quickly amplified the discussion through reposts, reaction videos and commentary threads. The supporters on her Instagram are calling her an “icon” and “diva” for criticizing Rauchet and comparing it to Michael Jackson’s situation where he spoke about Palestinian children being treated badly when he came back from Israel.
The critics took aim at her calling her a “hypocrite” by reposting her post which says “if you call yourself a feminist and your ‘feminism’ consists of attacking and putting down other women, you are not a feminist, you are a loser.” Another post said “why are you picking on women’s appearances to engage in ad hominem and attempt to shut down their arguments? It’s just flat-out misogyny,” which were posted in contexts different than the current one.
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They also reposted her picture wearing a fur coat and leather bag saying “you’re ok with animals being killed brutally for your ugly fashion style but have an issue if someone wears a dress from Temu.” They also discussed how as a “socialist” she should be happy, “rather than mock someone for not spending $10,000 on a single time use dress.”
The online dispute highlights how social media platforms continue to blur the line between political discourse, celebrity-style commentary and personal criticism. What began as a post about a White House dinner outfit quickly evolved into a broader debate about hypocrisy, feminism and political branding highlighting how rapidly individual comments can gain national attention in an increasingly online environment.