Melania Trump's jacket mixes message during visit to detained immigrant children

By Steve Holland and Jonathan Allen

 

U.S. first lady Melania Trump walks from her to her motorcade wearing a Zara design jacket with the phrase "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" on the back as she returns to Washington from a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border area in Texas, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

MCALLEN, Texas (Reuters) - Melania Trump, the wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, on Thursday visited children displaced by the country’s immigration crisis in Texas, only a day after Trump reversed course and ordered families to be kept intact when entering the United States illegally from Mexico.

 

According to her spokesperson, Melania Trump decided to visit detention centres housing children because she deeply cares about the controversial issue.

 

But the jacket the U.S. first lady wore for Thursday's trip conveyed a different message.

 

"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?" was daubed on the back of her jacket in large white brush strokes.

 

The trip to Texas was the most high-profile public appearance Melania Trump had made since undergoing a surgical procedure for a kidney condition on May 14.

 

Melania Trump wore a hooded green khaki jacket designed by fashion chain Zara as she boarded her flight to Texas in front of news photographers.

 

The first lady, a former fashion model, sometimes gets input on wardrobe decisions from her fashion adviser, Herve Pierre.

 

"It's a jacket," Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump's spokeswoman, told reporters. "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."

 

The first lady's unannounced visit came a day after her husband signed an executive order to modify his administration's practice of separating children from their migrant parents when they illegally enter the United States.

 

Children have been sent to detention centres and foster homes while their parents are detained and prosecuted.

 

Melania Trump met with staff looking after detained children in McAllen, Texas, and met with officials and employees at the facility, where 55 children aged 12 to 17 are housed. Six of them were separated from their parents upon crossing the border, authorities told reporters.

 

By then the jacket was by then nowhere in sight.

 

Mrs. Trump sat alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at a table at Upbring New Hope Children's Center and heard caregivers explain how the children are well treated.

 

"I'm glad I'm here and I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting children, but first of all let me begin to recognise each of you and thanking you for all that you do, for your heroic work that you do every day and what you do for those children," Melania Trump said.

 

"I'd also like to ask you how I can help these children to reunite with their families as quickly as possible," she said.

 

She visited a schoolroom and chatted with about 20 young girls and boys. In one classroom, children were being taught about the July Fourth Independence Day holiday. On the wall was a handpainted American flag and the children signed it. The first lady signed it as well.

On Wednesday, when signing the executive order to reverse the policy on separating children from parents, Trump cited his daughter and his wife as influencing his decision.

 

"Ivanka feels very strongly, my wife feels very strongly about it, I feel very strongly about it. I think anybody with a heart would feel very strongly about it. We don't like to see families separated," Trump said.

 

Melania's trip to Texas was cut short by heavy rain and flash flooding. She put the jacket back on as she disembarked from her plane back at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C.

 

Defending his wife's choice of jacket, Trump blamed the media, tweeting: “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!"

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland, additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington D.C. and Téa Kvetenadze in New York; editing by Clive McKeef)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-22

Doesn't matter what she wore, what she did, what she said or whatever the knockers will be there knocking. It's all becoming a little boring now.

From President Trump's Twitter account, he explained what the message meant. 

 

“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!"

 

 Well said Mr Trump. I suspected it might have been to do with icon of the progressives Peter Fonda wanting Barron Trump kidnapped and put in a cage with pedophiles, but no, apparently it was all to do with the boring fake news.

I think she does care.

 

But doesn't she think about things like this, didn't anybody tell her? She shouldn't wear a jacket like that.

I expect Donald hurriedly wrote the message on her jacket whilst Melania was in the shower.

Is this even news worthy? 

2 minutes ago, bushdoctor said:

Is this even news worthy? 

Yes. indicates mind set. The messaging was totally out of order for the occasion as was Trump's comment.

1 hour ago, Rally123 said:

Doesn't matter what she wore, what she did, what she said or whatever the knockers will be there knocking. It's all becoming a little boring now.

Get your popcorn it’s going to get a lot more lively.

Of course it's newsworthy.   Just like Trump's tweets.   Her spokesperson says it has no meaning, but the President says it's about the media.  

 

What a stupid thing to wear.   And an even stupider message.  

Trump’s comment a classic Trump lie.

 

’we don’t like to see families seperated’ 

 

That out of the mouth of the man who forcibly seperated children from their parents and caged them in concentration camps.

 

 

The rumours are that the message was directed at Donald and his use of prostitutes, not anything to do with immigration. Donald is in damage control mode.

she should have worn her other jacket with "I'm totally disconnected and I like it"

20 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Trump’s comment a classic Trump lie.

 

’we don’t like to see families seperated’ 

 

That out of the mouth of the man who forcibly seperated children from their parents and caged them in concentration camps.

 

 

Nice try, but Trump wasn't riding a 4x4 out in the Mexican desert lasso-ing families and splitting them up for kicks. These are illegal immigrants trying to cross a sovereign nations border. Small point, but I feel a very important one. 

15 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

The rumours are that the message was directed at Donald and his use of prostitutes, not anything to do with immigration. Donald is in damage control mode.

Now that would be really funny if that is really the case.

1 minute ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Nice try, but Trump wasn't riding a 4x4 out in the Mexican desert lasso-ing families and splitting them up for kicks. These are illegal immigrants trying to cross a sovereign nations border. Small point, but I feel a very important one. 

Twist it any way you like, that is what he was doing.

It was a tough choice for Melania her other two jackets were "My husband's an a**hole", and "Senorita's, if you just get your tits out for Donald he finds ways of short cutting your visa problems". I guess she chose the jacket where the victim can fight back least - the one aimed at the kids. Classy family all round.

Bad taste wearing clothing with writing on it like that.  She's not young enough for hip-hop fashions.

 

 

Give her a break... English is not her first language...

 

Besides that..

Her Let Them Eat Cake jacket was at the cleaners.. 

Edited June 22, 20188 yr by sfokevin

it was a message for King Don

1 hour ago, bushdoctor said:

Is this even news worthy? 

 

I say yes, it is. Especially when it is dry, sunny and hot in DC, and her staff and her husband send out radically different messages about the jacket.

 

I'm imagining another First Lady, maybe a black one, wearing such a jacket. Fox News would EXPLODE.

 

Or maybe another POTUS wearing a tan suit...

 

 

Perhaps it should read:

 

I don't give a <deleted>, my husband is the one dipping it anywhere anytime!

4 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

No more so than Clinton and Obama. So where was the outcry then? You Trump knockers are sooooo gullible.

 

 

 

A Swamp King defender calling his opponents gullible - priceless!!!

This was not a random choice of clothing by Mrs Trump, it is a calculated move to send a message to the racist amongst Trump’s base and to further delineate the line between Trump’s base and his opponents.

 

Classic Trump media play.

Ignorant, tone deaf or stupid- at least!

But of course President Lieatall is out to explain the unexplainable with more lies, more stupid attacks on the media and more BS, for his followers, to scoop and eat up with a shovel!

22 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

And what about Clinton? He was proven to have dipped it everywhere, Trump hasn't.

Trump not putting it about being unproven,seriously?

I hope Malania has a great pre-nup to use when the time comes.

It’s to divide confuse obscure and her boss Putin told her to wear it lol

A post has been removed:

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She's an unelected trophy wife of a horrific fascistic president that was elected with a minority of votes thanks to a Russian dictator. 

It's clear her loveless (probably sexless) marriage to that mentally deranged evil bully was a calculated business transaction.

I don't care about what she  tweets, what she says, what jacket or designer dress she does or does not wear. Do you? 

Edited June 22, 20188 yr by Jingthing

"really don't care, do u" is an anagram of "adultery canoodle".  Quite appropriate.  Maybe next time she'll be more direct and wear the "lock him up" jacket?

Trump’s base distracted by an infantile display from what was in reality a significant Trump defeat by decent Americans.