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Washington DC: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet is facing the flak of Americans after the latter's cheap outfit for the White House Correspondent's Dinner went viral on social media. Here is why the Rauchet's gown has sparked a political debate:

Jennifer Rauchet wore a dusty pink dress to the gala dinner. As pictures and videos of her appearance at the event was circulated online, social media detectives pointed that her gown resembled the one listed on websites of Chinese fast-fashion brands like Shein and Temu.

The price of the gown on Shein is $42 (approximately Rs 3,985).

Since Pete Hegseth and Trump administration champion 'America First' and trade policies against China, his wife's outfit choice from a Chinese marketplace has attracted criticism.

Jennifer Rauchet, who is former Fox News executive producer, was also attacked by fashion industry watchdog Diet Prada on social media. Diet Prada wrote, “Pete Hegseth’s wife wore fast fashion from overseas…despite her party’s nationalist ideologies."

Ella Devi, who identifies herself as socialist socialite on social media, said, "Temu uses slave labor + if you're married to the "America first" guy you should not be buying imported clothes from overseas."

Meanwhile, far-right political activist Laura Loomer criticised this narrative, saying, “She looks amazing. I thought the left was about ‘eating the rich?’ Now you want to dunk on someone who didn’t waste $10,000 on a dress they will only ever wear once."

A netizen said, “If it were expensive, you’d call her privileged or something. But because it’s supposedly from Temu you call her poor and cheap. Never happy. Who cares. She looks great.”

‘War Criminal’s Wife'

This is not the first time Rauchet has been targeted by critics recently. Earlier, activists confronted her over the killings of innocent civilians by US-Israeli airstrikes in Iran.

“War criminal's wife,” the activists shouted at her, adding, “Your husband is killing children! How do you go to bed at night in the same bed with a war criminal? Your husband is a war criminal, killing children.”