Celebrities lead outrage over Melania Trump’s jacket during detention center visit

A chorus of celebrities have expressed outrage after First Lady Melania wore a jacket that read ‘I really don’t care, do u?’ before and after a visit to a child detention center.

The First Lady wore the $39 green, hooded military jacket from Zara when she left for Texas and then returned to Washington on Thursday.   

Chelsea Handler was among the big names to slam Melania for the item of clothing, tweeting: ‘The hypocrisy of @FLOTUS going down to the border to speak broken English to our refugees in that dumb jacket is a little hard to swallow.’ 

Producer Judd Apatow said: ‘These people are beyond fiction. Nobody could dream them up in their worst nightmares.’

Comedian Kathy Griffin launched an expletive-laden rant, saying: ‘The jacket Melanie wore on the way to meeting the kids held in internment camps has ‘I don’t really care, do you?’ written on the back. F**k these people and f**k anyone who says we should be polite to them or maintain decorum.’

Veep actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus simply tweeted: ‘It’s endless with these morons.’ 

The First Lady wore the $39 green, hooded military jacket from Zara that read ‘I really don’t care, do u?’ when she left for Texas and then returned to Washington on Thursday 

Controversy: Melania Trump wore a $39 jacket with the phrase, 'I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?' scrawled across the back when boarding a plane to visit immigrant children in Texas

Controversy: Melania Trump wore a $39 jacket with the phrase, ‘I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?’ scrawled across the back when boarding a plane to visit immigrant children in Texas

President Trump tweeted in response to the outcry on Thursday evening, stating that the message on his wife's jacket 'refers to the Fake News Media'

President Trump tweeted in response to the outcry on Thursday evening, stating that the message on his wife’s jacket ‘refers to the Fake News Media’

President Donald Trump and his eldest son both tried to shrug off the controversy.

The president took to Twitter soon after claiming his wife was referring to ‘the Fake News Media’ when she opted to wear the jacket to visit children separated from their families at the border.

Donald Trump Jr shared an edited version of his step-mother's jacket to his Instagram story. It featured a photo of a crying Robert DeNiro plastered on the back of the jacket with the caption: 'Fixed it!'

Donald Trump Jr shared an edited version of his step-mother’s jacket to his Instagram story. It featured a photo of a crying Robert DeNiro plastered on the back of the jacket with the caption: ‘Fixed it!’

It contradicted Melania’s spokeswoman’s earlier statement that it was ‘just a jacket’ and that there ‘was no hidden message’. 

Trump tweeted: ”I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO YOU?’ 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.’ 

As the outrage continued, Donald Trump Jr shared an edited version of his step-mother’s jacket to his Instagram story. It featured a photo of a crying Robert DeNiro plastered on the back of the jacket with the caption: ‘Fixed it!’

Melania herself failed to mention the controversy when she took to Twitter Thursday night to share photos of her visit to the detention center. 

‘Today’s visit to #Texas to spend time with children & thank the many hardworking individuals helping to care for them was very meaningful. Thank you to @SecAzar @HHSGOV for traveling w me today & the care you are giving these children in such a difficult time,’ she tweeted.   

The First lady’s surprise visit to a children’s shelter – where a handful of the 55 children it houses had been taken from their parents – was intended to underline her compassion for children, and came after she lobbied Trump to end separations.

Instead it was overshadowed by the former model’s choice of jacket.

Melania was first spotted wearing the jacket as she left Washington but she changed into a cream button-up safari-style jacket before the plane landed in McAllen, Texas, for a visit to the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center.

But even after questions arose about her attire, Mrs Trump was back in the green jacket when she returned to Washington in 80-degree weather. She wore it as she walked to the Oval Office to see her husband.  

After DailyMail.com identified the jacket Melania wore, Twitter users quickly slammed her for her ‘tone deaf’ fashion choice. Others suggested she was the only ‘honest’ Trump because she was wearing such a clear sentiment so publicly.

Change: Melania, 48, had removed the jacket by the time she landed in Texas, and was seen disembarking her plane in a cream military-style number instead 

Different look: Melania wore her cream military-inspired coat was buttoned up

Change: Melania, 48, had removed the jacket by the time she landed in Texas, and was seen disembarking her plane in a cream military-style number instead 

'It's just a jacket': Melania's spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, took to Twitter to insist that the first lady does indeed care, despite the jacket's message

Melania failed to mention the controversy when she took to Twitter Thursday night and her spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, had earlier insisted that the first lady does indeed care, despite the jacket’s message

When asked what message the first lady’s jacket intended to send, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: ‘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.’ 

Grisham underscored that message in a tweet with the hashtags #SheCares and #ItsJustAJacket. 

It’s not the first time the first lady’s fashion choices have caused a stir. 

Last August, a pair of Melania’s signature spike heels earned her a round of bafflement as she boarded Air Force One bound for Texas to tour devastation after Hurricane Harvey. 

She had changed into white sneakers by the time she and the president landed.

At the second 2016 presidential debate, Mrs Trump showed up in a fuchsia silk blouse with a large bow at the neck, long known as a ‘pussy bow blouse’. That was just days after reports surfaced that her husband had made lewd remarks years earlier about grabbing women by the genitals.

It comes as Hollywood and beyond continued to express their outrage over Melania’s callous jacket

On the other side of the political aisle, former First Lady Michelle Obama routinely caught grief from some critics for going sleeveless. Her husband, President Barack Obama, was the talk of a 24-hour news cycle when he donned a tan suit in 2014 for a media briefing.

The First Lady said in a written statement after she returned to the White House that the visit had ‘impacted me greatly.’ She called on Congress to work together on immigration legislation that would benefit the children.

‘Spending time with them reinforces the fact that these kids are in this situation as a direct result of adult actions,’ she said. 

‘It is my hope that Members of Congress will finally reach across the aisle and work together to solve this problem with common sense immigration reform that secures our borders and keeps families together.’

Melania’s stop in McAllen came one day after Trump ordered a halt, at least for now, to the separation of immigrant families who are detained at the border.

Her visit to the one-story, red brick building was quickly arranged after Mrs Trump decided earlier this week that she wanted to go, her spokeswoman said, adding that she wanted to lend support to children who have been separated from their parents.

‘I’m here to learn about your facility,’ she said as she met with staff and federal health and border patrol officials. 

She asked how she could help ‘these children to reunite with their families as quickly as possible’ and how often they communicate with their families. She learned the children are allowed a 10-minute phone call twice a week.

Students welcomed her with a large paper American flag taped to a wall that they’d signed. The words, ‘Welcome! First Lady’ were written in black marker across the red and white bars.  

Students welcomed her with a large paper American flag taped to a wall that they'd signed. The words, 'Welcome! First Lady' were written in black marker across the red and white bars

Students welcomed her with a large paper American flag taped to a wall that they’d signed. The words, ‘Welcome! First Lady’ were written in black marker across the red and white bars

Officials from the Upbring New Hope Children's Center spoke to the first lady before she toured the facility to meet children on Thursday

Officials from the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center spoke to the first lady before she toured the facility to meet children on Thursday

Melania was given a tour of the facility by officials before meeting with the detained children 

Melania was given a tour of the facility by officials before meeting with the detained children 

Protesters outside the White House late Thursday had already seized on Melania's jacket to protest the Trump administration's immigration policy

Protesters outside the White House late Thursday had already seized on Melania’s jacket to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policy

TWITTER REACTS TO MELANIA’S JACKET



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