Donald Trump’s wife, first lady Melania, stole the show at the recent White House Picnic.
She attended the annual event held on the South Lawn of the U.S. seat of power and was praised by the president, who called her "magnificent" and thanked her for putting the function together.
The 55-year-old, who is known to keep out of the spotlight and guard her son Baron’s privacy jealously, was seen smiling in her white blouse and floral slacks.
Highlights
- Melania Trump, donning a new look, was praised by the president at a White House function.
- The internet was not convinced and said she looked like Caitlyn Jenner.
- It's not the first time social media has made the comparison.
Later that day, she was photographed mingling with attendees—a sight that drew a slew of compliments from netizens.
Trump, for once, made the occasion about someone else
Image credits: FLOTUS
Trump, usually the centrifugal point in every room, made the day about her when he said: “I want to thank our magnificent First Lady for putting together this wonderful evening.”
When he said this, the crowd cheered, and he won a smile from Melania.
The president later took it a step further in his speech by talking about her work on recent bipartisan legislation.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty
He acknowledged her help in passing the Take It Down Act, which is a bill that targets nonconsensual publication of n*dity and intimacy as a form of cyberbullying.
“I want to thank you Melania and thank you everybody out there,” he continued.
“When I saw that bill passed bipartisan, I said ‘You know, I think you're going to take my job.’”
Melania’s fans were impressed
Image credits: White House/Andrea Hanks
Some fans were as impressed as Trump says he was, but for different reasons.
“Melania is 100% Class! Trump and Melania are the perfect couple that all lovebirds should emulate,” wrote one user.
“Tonight might have been the best I’ve seen Melania look. Hair was on point. [Her] Dress was simple yet elegant. Smiling as always. 10/10,” echoed another, summing up the pro-Melania sentiment.
But not all netizens were taken by her
Image credits: White House/Molly Riley
Then the critics weighed in: In a reply to the news update on Facebook, a user wrote: “I Wonder how much he had to pay her to show up.”
One person was not impressed with her look either, writing, “At first glance, thought I saw Caitlyn Jenner...”
It’s not the first time the comparison has been made.
Some mocked the first lady, saying she looked like Caitlyn Jenner
Image credits: White House/Carlos Fyfe
An Instagram account drew attention when it posted photos of the former Olympian after they transitioned to Caitlyn and compared it to the first lady.
“Melania and Bruce Jenner look surprisingly similar,” the author wrote.
“They DO look alike. How weird. I’ve always thought Melania looks….husky. Not soft or feminine, and certainly not sweet. She has a masculine quality, and the facial structures are similar. It’s true,” came a response.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty
Not everyone was pleased with the comparison, and one person wrote, “Melania looks NOTHING like Bruce Jenner!”
“Oh p*ss off,” said another.
Her dress code has fascinated the media for a long time
Melania’s appearance has had a long and ongoing tenure in the media spotlight. Women’s Wear Daily, a fashion trade journal, noted that the fixation extends beyond her first stint as a first lady.
Before her husband became president, her dress sense was opulent and best suited to elite social circles, but when he won the 2016 election, she “downgraded”—if that's the term that can be used for moving to Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Valentino.
Image credits: White House/Andrea Hanks
This translated to more muted and conservative cuts than her previous “embellished and often leggy silhouettes.”
During Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign, she was spotted donning Michael Kors and Dior.
Social media thinks the first lady does not have a soft side
More recently, however, Bored Panda reported on how she was brutally roasted for a photo taken after her husband took office earlier this year.
Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, who heads up the Department of History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania, took it upon herself to describe what she saw when she said:
Image credits: FLOTUS
“[Melania] has positioned herself firmly behind that ultra shiny table, keeping a bit of a boundary between herself and the viewer.”
Wearing an all black suit with a white shirt, she drew another criticism.
“I’m guessing she doesn’t have a soft side to her. If she does, she never shows it. It would be nice if she did,” the commenter said.
Social media is in disagreement about Melania Trump
