7 Melania Trump Outfits That Might Have Been Sending A Message To Donald

Whether or not you're keeping up with the Trumps, you probably already know that Melania Trump is a woman of few words. She rarely gives speeches and interviews, so unlike her predecessors, we'll likely never see her discussing women's issues on "Call Her Daddy" or go on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" to talk about a viral moment. However, what she lacks in public remarks, she makes up for in fashion statements, which, according to some political commentators, may serve as a window into the mind of the mysterious first lady. "I always say that there are no Melania Trump coincidences," CNN reporter Kate Bennett, author of the biography "Free, Melania," told Washingtonian in 2019. "There's no question that everything she does, especially nonverbally, is a thoughtful decision."

Bennett's opinion is quite plausible despite Melania's longtime stylist, Hervé Pierre Braillard, insisting that there are no hidden messages in his client's looks. During the first lady era of Melania's stunning style transformation, she made plenty of sartorial choices that seemed too meaningful to be random. In just one of several times that Trump women's outfits meant more than people realized, she seemingly told the world where exactly she stood on Donald Trump's "America First" agenda when she wore a Jackie Kennedy-esque look from American fashion royalty Ralph Lauren during her official debut as first lady back in January 2017. There have also been several instances wherein her ensembles appeared to have been chosen with one particular person in mind: her husband. Whether it's to potentially protest one of his policies or throw major shade following yet another scandal, let's take a look at Melania outfits that might have been sending a message to Donald.

Melania Trump sometimes goes for loud, bold looks that either feel completely out of place or are dubbed fashion-forward. But when it comes to daring style choices, few can top the fuchsia pink blouse she wore to an October 2016 presidential debate, mainly because of the potential meaning behind it. The top shares a name with the body part Donald Trump claimed to grab women by in an "Access Hollywood" tape leaked just two days before (via NPR), leaving us wondering if Melania was mocking her husband and silently protesting his controversial comments. 

In addition to her fashion, Melania Trump has repeatedly made headlines and been dubbed as an icon by the internet for not-so-subtly blocking her husband Donald Trump's attempts at public displays of affection. The 2025 presidential inauguration became another episode in that ongoing saga, thanks to the first lady's striking Eric Javits hat. Aside from hiding much of her face throughout the ceremony, its wide brim also prevented Donald from planting a kiss on his wife's cheek in a now-viral moment captured by photographers.

Melania Trump has shown that sometimes the message isn't in the outfit itself, but rather the way she wears it. This might have been the case when she stepped out with Donald Trump in February 2018 with her yellow coat slung over her shoulders. A number of internet users suggested that rather than go viral for batting away his hand again, the first lady elected to use "shrobing" (or shoulder-robing) to more discreetly tell her husband to practice social distancing and refrain from future hand-holding attempts.

Melania Trump opted for a green-and-white Valentino dress when she and Donald Trump welcomed Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia to the White House in June 2018. The frock was, interestingly, designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli — who made his feelings about the president clear when he wore a cap that read, "F*** Donald Trump" following his 2016 election victory. And the first lady, interestingly enough, wore the look after issuing a statement that implied she did not approve of her husband's family separation policy, per the BBC. A coincidence? We think not.

The year 2018 started with a PR nightmare for the Trump presidency when allegations surfaced in January that Donald Trump allegedly paid off Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a purported 2006 affair. In her first public appearance after the news broke, Melania Trump potentially showed Donald just how unhappy she was about the whole saga when she showed up at his State of the Union address wearing what might have been a nod to her husband's political nemesis, Hillary Clinton: a white pantsuit. 

Much has been said about the infamous green jacket Melania Trump donned for a June 2018 visit to migrant kids. Donald Trump claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the "I Really Don't Care, Do U?" message was a dig at "fake news" media, per People. Some suggested she was calling out Ivanka Trump. However, Omarosa Manigault Newman had a different theory: the only reason Melania wore the jacket was to tell her husband that she was not happy about being made to do damage control for him and his administration.

After Donald Trump spent weeks promising that his military parade-slash-birthday celebration in June 2025 would be anything but boring, Melania Trump showed up at the event wearing a skirt suit that was anything but exciting. One of her many low-effort looks for her husband's second term, Melania's loose-fitting jacket and skirt appeared to be a message to not only the public but also Donald that she was more than ready to be done with her (unpaid) job and was simply putting in the bare minimum this time around.