Melania Trump is not just our first lady, she's a fashion icon. The liberal media didn't treat her as such during her husband's first presidential term, so I'm not holding my breath for them to do it this time around either. As I've said before, she could parade around in a garbage bag with holes cut out for her arms and look gorgeous anyway, but her clothing selections are almost always on point.
The White House released Mrs. Trump's official portrait on Monday, and it's stunning, of course, but it's powerful too. In the black and white photo, the first lady stands behind a desk in front of a window in the Yellow Oval Room in the White House, with a blurred Washington Monument in the background. She's wearing a single-breasted black Dolce & Gabbana twill Turlington tuxedo jacket with matching tailored twill pants and a white button-up shirt.
And the look on her face combined with her posture tells us everything we need to know: She's not putting up with any crap this time around. (That kind of feels like the whole theme of this Donald Trump 2.0 presidency, doesn't it?) "She looks like she's about to fire someone," our PJM editor Chris Queen joked when he saw it. Indeed, she does.
According to the White House press release, "The official portrait of First Lady Melania Trump was captured on January 21, 2024, in the Yellow Oval Room of the residence by esteemed photographer Régine Mahaux." Without further adieu:
First Lady Melania Trump’s Official White House Portrait pic.twitter.com/pMdooFZW53
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) January 27, 2025
As attorney Molly McCann Sanders points out on X, it's a total "vibe shift" from Mrs. Trump's first term portrait:
Melania’s vibe shift continues. Her official First Lady portrait from the first term…and her just released second term portrait. pic.twitter.com/URz68F7p1P
— Molly McCann Sanders (@molmccann) January 27, 2025
The Trumps have only been back in the White House for a week, but it's clear they both mean business. On Inauguration Day, much was made about Mrs. Trump's coat and hat, but that night, when I wrote an article about the fashion of the day, I realized that all four of the adult Trump women — Melania, Ivanka, Tiffany, and Lara — had similar looks with their dark colors and buttoned-up appearances. Part of me thinks that wasn't a coincidence. These women saw how their husband and father was treated for the last eight years, and they wanted to show the world that they're not standing for that anymore. Who can blame them?
"You raided my home and tried to take out my husband" vibe. 🔥🔥 #Inauguration2025 #Melania pic.twitter.com/gWxTvQdCr9
— MAGA Marie 🦅🇺🇸 (@galacticaactual) January 20, 2025
There's one potential inspiration for the portrait:
Related: The Trump and Vance Women WOW at Inaugural Festivities
And while I'm at it, can I just say that even dressed down, Mrs. Trump looked amazing on Friday when she accompanied her husband to North Carolina and California to meet with hurricane and fire victims? I mean, just seeing a first lady who doesn't have to hold her husband up and direct him where to go is refreshing, but she was the epitome of cool in her Victoria Beckham aviator sunglasses, Xappeal boots, olive green Rag & Bone puffer jacket, and black Levi's.
President Trump and Melania Trump are boots on the ground in North Carolina 🇺🇸🙏🏼
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) January 24, 2025
This is what real leadership looks like!!!!
pic.twitter.com/DQEk7rMw44
Even more importantly, her presence seemed like a great comfort to the victims of these disasters, and I hope she continues making these public appearances with her husband.
Melania Trump speaks Serbian to one of the many victims of the California wildfires during her visit to the state. pic.twitter.com/g7nsB45i98
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 25, 2025
In the past, Mrs. Trump has said that she wished people would focus on what she does, not what she wears, and I can respect that. And as long as I'm writing here at PJM, I will gladly cover anything our first lady does over the next four years. I know she's a huge advocate for children and can't wait to see what kind of projects and initiatives she takes on during this term. The mainstream media certainly won't do it unless they can find a way to mock her.
But as a girly girl who likes fashion and feminine stuff — in a world where the woke keep trying to take that away from me — I'm probably going to write about that from time to time too.
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