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Melania Trump has always tried to maintain a curated and controlled image of glamour, even down to appearing at certain events, wearing specific designer garments, or posing for a particular magazine. Apparently, the last of those was very important to Melania, and she made it clear especially as the First Lady of the United States. But even prior to her time as FLOTUS, Melania has always seemed to have a thing about Vogue.
Not only did Melania Trump pose for the cover of Vogue in her wedding dress in 2005 and pregnant in a gold bikini in 2006, but she called attention to that coverage (the latter shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz) as recently as 2014 — see this tweet.
Recently, Melania sat down for her first televised interview since leaving the White House in January 2021 following her husband’s single term in office, and she once again found herself talking about the outlet that came up so many times during her four years as first lady. Asked about Vogue‘s choice to have Jill Biden and Michelle Obama on the cover, but not her, Melania said on Fox Nation: “They’re biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious.
“And I think American people, and everyone sees it,” she added. “It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do — and I did in the White House — than being on the cover of Vogue.”
And yet, Melania was found discussing Vogue‘s contents on many an occasion over her time in the White House. From this latest interview to firsthand accounts from Stephanie Wilson Wolkoff’s tell-all , Melania hasn’t minced words about her feelings toward Vogue. Read on for more of her comments.
Snubbing a First Lady Profile
Early into Donald Trump’s term as POTUS, Melania was offered the chance to collaborate with Vogue in a major way. “Vogue reached out to Melania, hoping to schedule an Annie Leibovitz photo shoot of the First Lady in the White House, with writer Rob Haskell shadowing her for a few days to write a profile. All that sounded great, but the magazine could not guarantee that Melania would appear on the cover,” Melania’s former adviser and friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff writes in Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady.
“For the record, not all First Ladies are put on the cover of Vogue. Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, yes. Laura and Barbara Bush, no,” Winston Wolkoff writes. “Melania wasn’t going to do anything for Vogue or any other magazine if she wasn’t going to be on the cover. ‘Give me a break!’ she texted. ‘Forget it.’”
Calling ‘Vogue’ Biased
During a May 2022 interview with Fox Nation, the former firsty lady laid into Vogue for not offering her the coveted cover of the magazine — even though she was offered a photo shoot and full profile. Much to her chagrin, past first ladies like Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Dr. Jill Biden have all be on the cover of Vogue.
“They’re biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious,” she said. “And I think American people, and everyone sees it. It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do — and I did in the White House — than being on the cover of Vogue.” It’s worth noting that Melania was on the cover of Vogue back in 2005, just before her wedding to Donald Trump.
Expressing Shock Over Beyoncé
Back in September 2018, the former FLOTUS had some choice words about Vogue‘s latest cover star. “Anna gave the September issue of Vogue cover — complete, complete, complete, everything — to Beyoncé,” Melania said to former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, which she recorded. “So she will hire Black photographer and it’s the first Black photographer ever doing cover of Vogue,” Melania went on.
“What? That is insane,” Winston Wolkoff says in the recording. “Well that’s what I read,” Melania replies. Clearly, Beyoncé’s historic moment was enough to have Melania discuss it with one of her close friends at the time.
Reacting to Stormy Daniels’ Profile
According to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff’s tell-all book, Melania & Me: The Rise & Fall Of My Friendship with the First Lady, Melania Trump didn’t have much of a reaction when revelations about her husband’s affairs with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were made public.
“It’s politics,” she texted Winston Wolkoff.
But when Stormy Daniels was featured in Vogue, that’s when Melania felt really tested. “Annie Leibovitz shot the porn hooker,” Melania said, referencing Daniels’ September 2018 issue of Vogue.
“I’m so glad I didn’t do that profile in Vogue,” Melania said further to Winston Wolkoff. “You know, they came back two months ago and asked me to do it again. ‘It might be a cover,’ they said. Are you kidding me? I don’t give a f**k about Vogue or any other magazine. They would never put me on the cover.” Well, whatever fixation Melania had with the magazine, it clearly took a turn following the September 2018 issue.
Speaking For Herself (Through Her Spokesperson)
We’ve already read some of the choice words Melania has shared about her thoughts on Vogue, but there was one rare instance when the former FLOTUS had her spokesperson share some thoughts on Anna Wintour’s comments indicating why Melania hadn’t been on the cover of Vogue as first lady.
“To be on the cover of Vogue doesn’t define Mrs. Trump, she’s been there, done that long before she was first lady,” Stephanie Grisham, former White House Press Secretary and formerly Melania’s spokeswoman said in April 2019, per Huffington Post.
“Her role as first lady of the United States and all that she does is much more important than some superficial photo shoot and cover,” Grisham continued. “This just further demonstrates how biased the fashion magazine industry is, and shows how insecure and small-minded Anna Wintour really is.” Considering these comments likely had to go through Melania first before they were even said tells us a lot about how she really must have felt toward the famed Vogue editor.
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