Melania Trump had plenty of people talking when she wore a jacket with the words “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” scrawled on the back before meeting with immigrant children at the Texas border on Thursday, June 21.
The first lady, 48, wore the $39 green Zara military jacket as she boarded an airplane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland for an unannounced visit to Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter in McAllen, Texas. Though she changed into a cream-colored coat before going to the shelter, she put it back on when she returned to Washington, D.C., later in the day. Celebrities were quick to point out the unfortunate sartorial choice on social media and on TV.
“In the middle of the worst moral scandal in recent memory, so bad that her husband, [President Donald Trump], backed down for the first time, people who were supposedly on her side let her get on a plane with a jacket that said, ‘I Really Don’t Care, Do U?’ For the record: We do,” Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Jimmy Fallon said during his monologue on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Nobody really knows what it means or if it means anything at all. Meanwhile, Trump’s going through his closet like, ‘Where is it? Where’s my coat?’”
Over on Twitter, Jane Lynch wrote, “Is @FLOTUS so unfamiliar with English that she doesn’t know what the back of her jacket today says? That her initiative #BeBest is grammatically incorrect? Is there NO ONE ON HER STAFF to help her with these things?”
Is @FLOTUS so unfamiliar with English that she doesn’t know what the back of her jacket today says? That her initiative #BeBest is grammatically incorrect? Is there NO ONE ON HER STAFF to help her with these things?
— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) June 21, 2018
Chelsea Handler echoed, “The hypocrisy of @FLOTUS going down to the border to speak broken English to our refugees in that dumb jacket is a little hard to swallow. For all the trump supporters who defend her by saying she speaks five languages—English isn’t one of them.”
The hypocrisy of @FLOTUS going down to the border to speak broken English to our refugees in that dumb jacket is a little hard to swallow. For all the trump supporters who defend her by saying she speaks five languages—English isn’t one of them.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) June 21, 2018
Patricia Arquette tweeted, “Melania Trump just won worst dressed for the century.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus wrote, “It’s endless with these morons.”
Melania Trump just won worst dressed for the century.
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) June 21, 2018
It’s endless with these morons.https://t.co/Zuph1E6qw7
— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) June 22, 2018
The former model’s press secretary Stephanie Grisham responded to the backlash in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday afternoon. “It’s a jacket. There was no hidden message,” she said. “After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe (much like her high heels last year [in Texas while helping Hurricane Harvey survivors]).”
The president, 72, later claimed on Twitter, “‘I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?’ written on the back of Melania’s jacket, refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!”
“I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” written on the back of Melania’s jacket, refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2018
See more stars’ reactions below.
The thoughtlessness at work here is stunning. Imagine what would happen if Michelle Obama wore this jacket. Also, imagine a world where you can even imagine Michelle Obama wearing this jacket. https://t.co/Hkx7CG2tp4
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) June 21, 2018
No. This is correct. There is no hidden message. The message is right there for everyone to read clearly. https://t.co/dgAiqCk0uZ
— Busy Philipps (@BusyPhilipps) June 21, 2018
No message? The jacket literally has a message on it. How does no one running this country understand the meaning of optics. Jesus! https://t.co/thBD9XxxCb
— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) June 21, 2018
Melania in her”I don’t care jacket” JUST”HAPPENED”TO SHOW UP UNANNOUNCED..TO DOCTORS,
SOCIAL WORKERS,&MEDICAL STAFF.
WERE THEY THE SAME STAFF WHO LOCKED CRYING TODDLERS IN CAGES⁉️THE SAME STAFF WHO MADE THEM SLEEP ON FLOORS WITH TINFOIL BLANKETS⁉️ https://t.co/kmobz35E0C— Cher (@cher) June 21, 2018
Is this for real? https://t.co/17tDIi35Ou
— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) June 21, 2018
— Zendaya (@Zendaya) June 21, 2018
Is this a joke? I didn’t think anyone could be that out of touch with reality… https://t.co/F9MowJDPnF
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) June 21, 2018
Maybe it was better when we didn’t know where Melania was.
— andy lassner (@andylassner) June 22, 2018
This is not a joke.
Melania Trump wore a jacket to visit child detention centers that read: “I really don’t care. Do u?”
I’m actually speechless. https://t.co/Ume21zIGra
— Zac Petkanas (@Zac_Petkanas) June 21, 2018
Wait, wait, wait. I just got wifi to work on my flight. This Melania jacket thing cannot be real. Can’t. I’m choosing to not believe it.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 21, 2018
