First lady Melania Trump made headlines this summer when she visited immigrant children in Texas who had been separated from their families under President Donald Trump’s administration. The first lady wore a Zara jacket with “I really don’t care. Do U?” emblazoned on the back — and many observers were outraged.
In a new interview with ABC News’ Tom Llamas, which debuted Friday, the first lady revealed that it was a deliberate choice to wear the jacket to send a message to “the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me.”
At the time, Trump’s director of communications Stephanie Grisham, issued this statement: “It’s a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe.”
Watch on FN
Trump’s explanation was different: “I want to show [my critics] that I don’t care. You could criticize whatever you want to say, but it will not stop me [from doing] what I feel is right.”
In the interview, she emphasized that the message wasn’t directed to the children she was visiting, but instead to the people who disparaged her. “It’s obvious I didn’t wear the jacket for the children,” she continued. “I wore the jacket to go on the plane and off the plane.”
Trump also revealed that she reached for the jacket again after the trip. “After the visit, I put it back on because I see how [the] media got obsessed about it,” she said. “They got so obsessed. …That’s what I’m talking about. I would prefer they would focus on what I do and on my initiatives [instead of] what I wear.”
Want more?
People Are Criticizing Melania Trump’s Africa Tour Outfits — And She’s Firing Back
