During the first portion of Donald Trump second term, Melania Trump remained behind the scenes but in recent times she has been showing up more.
And it was not Trump who stole the limelight at the recent White House Picnic, it was the First Lady.
Summer being nearinged, on June 12 First Lady Melania Trump again moved to the centre stage, being noticed when she joined crowds at the 2025 Congressional Picnic. The wife of the President Trump, a woman with a rather shady privacy status, has shocked her fans, appearing in public, one of those not so numerous occasions in this year.
The 55-year-old ex-model came out to the South Lawn to attend the occasion after a long time and was instantly showered with compliments by her spouse, who addressed the audience:
I wish to express grateful appreciation to our wonderful First Lady who has been instrumental in bringing this wonderful evening.”
Usually alone and protective of the privacy of her son Barron, Melania appeared smiling in a sleek white blouse and striking floral pants to mingle with people.
As reported in USA Today, Melania was greeting visitors at the party and was presumably wearing Dolce & Gabbana and Manolo Blahnik- something she wore at a party held last summer in a chic, but ultimately simple ensemble.
This was just a few hours later after she had been captured chatting with individuals- as photographs have fast spread online and raised a fiery social media discussion.
Her new look was praised by some internet users who wrote; Melania is 100% Class! Trump and Melania are the ideal couple which all lovers should follow.” Another said, Melania looked the best tonight maybe. Hair was hitting. Her Dress was plain but beautiful. smiling, as usual. 10/10.”
However, not all went to the extent of being complimentary.
The question of Is That Bruce Jenner? became a trending question right after the pictures of the event were posted. Opponents poured in the social sites, some even claiming that the new Melania was a dead ringer to Caitlyn Jenner, once Bruce. I think I saw Caitlyn Jenner…” commented one of Facebook users.
This is nothing new when it comes to comparison.
There was an Instagram handle with a repost of past photos of Caitlyn before transitioning with pictures of Melania to be followed by comments such as, “A lot of people are noticing that Melania and Bruce Jenner look surprisingly similar to one another.” and, “These two DO look alike.” How weird. I used to think that Melania looks….husky. Not soft and feminine, not sweet. she is masculine and the facial structures resemble. It’s true.”
But other people strongly objected to such a statement. One of them responded harshly, “Melania does NOT resemble Bruce Jenner at all! ” and another one simply wrote, Oh p*ss off.
The president, on his part, went on heaping praise on her, not only of her beauty but also on her recent efforts on the legislation.
Trump also worded her participation in bill Take It Down Act, aimed at withdrawing nonconsensual explicit material on the internet: I would like to thank you Melania and all of you out there: I mean when I looked that pass that bipartisan bill and I said, You know, I guess you are going to get my job.
The fashion of Melania Trump can never go unnoticed- their decisions of what to wear are constantly put under the microscope- causing an infinite amount of debate online, along with the belief that what she is wearing is the slightest hint as to how she is really feeling. Her style changed drastically after she became First Lady as WomenWear Daily once remarked, instead of high-glamour looks that she wore before, she evinced much more conservative and subdued styles.
Since 2016, she often wore Ralph Lauren, Valentino and Burberry.
She has been wearing brands such as Michael Kors and Dior during her 2024 campaign trail, yet her wardrobe remains polarizing.
Although Melania Trump has a penchant of blending high and low-cost glamour, her ensemble during the swearing-in later this year took people by surprise. The ensemble was an overhaul compared to the subtle powder blue outfit, reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy, at the first inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017, in a tight black dress and now-viral wide-brim hat.
The image was also analyzed by Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, a professor of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania, who stated:
She has literally backed herself to that super shiny dining table [Melania] has created a little ambiance of distance between herself and the viewer.
The sentiment was also shared by one viewer who said, “I think she has no soft side to her. When she does, she does not show it. Nice that she would do so.”
