Sign of a "demonstration of power"? Melania Trump appears solo for the first time - her outfit is surprising
On Monday, Melania Trump made her first solo appearance since her husband's inauguration. She spoke about deepfake pornography. Her outfit was particularly striking: a beige suit.
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- Melania Trump made her first solo public appearance since her husband's return to the White House.
- This was to support the "Take It Down Act". A law against non-consensual intimate images.
- The beige suit she wore was particularly striking. Is this considered a "demonstration of power"?
It was First Lady Melania Trump's first solo appearance in public since her husband returned to the White House on January 20. On Monday, the First Lady took part in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill in Washington to support the "Take It Down Act".
The act aims to make non-consensual intimate images, real or AI-generated, a criminal offense. Online platforms are to be forced to remove such images within 48 hours.
And the 54-year-old has never been seen like she was on Monday. In a beige suit, alongside Elliston Berry, a victim of deepfakes.
Criticism of Democrats
Melania Trump called on Congress to support young people. "It's heartbreaking to see young teens, especially girls, struggling with the incredible challenge of malicious online content," she said.
"In today's AI-driven world, the threat of a privacy breach is alarming and high," Melania Trump continued.
Despite sporadic support from Democrats, Melania Trump accused the opposition of not supporting the issue enough. "I expected more Democratic leaders to be here today to address this serious issue," she said. "Surely as adults we can prioritize American children over partisan politics."
More and more suits
As with Donald Trump's inauguration or her first official portrait photo, her outfit was a talking point this time too. Once again, the First Lady wore a masculine-inspired look. Melania Trump appeared in an elegant three-piece suit in beige, complete with vest. Underneath, she wore a white shirt, which she combined with a black tie. On her feet, she wore beige pumps to match the look.
The "Business Insider" describes the First Lady's change of look as "significant". During her husband's first term in office - between 2016 and 2020 - the former model mainly wore midi dresses, skirts and blouses or evening dresses. Now she is increasingly opting for a suit. She already wore a black suit with a shirt at the National Governors Association Dinner in February.
There is no official explanation for the change in style, but it could be a deliberate "demonstration of power".
Melania Trump leads her own life
A show of power towards her husband too? Melania Trump seems to be going her own way during her husband Donald Trump's new term of office. According to media reports from the end of February, she is leading an independent life. Among other things, she is busy producing a documentary for Amazon Prime Video. The film, which portrays her, is expected to be released in the second half of 2025.
She has her own idea of what she wants to do and "will never be a traditional first lady", People quoted a political insider as saying.
Melania Trump has spent the past month at both Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and the White House, but has not spent any significant time in an official capacity. She is largely "leading her own life" but is by her husband's side "when appropriate". She usually keeps "to herself" at her Palm Beach estate and only "occasionally" accompanies Donald Trump to dinner.