Fans of Melania Trump continue to be outraged that she has yet to grace the cover of an American fashion magazine as first lady — when Michelle Obama appeared on a whopping 12 covers during her eight years in the White House.
Conservative actor James Woods has a history of slamming publishers for failing to feature the current first lady, and he took to Twitter over the weekend to gripe that Melania, 49, has yet to cover a major US publication since her husband, President Donald Trump, became president.
‘If you need any further proof of the shameless bias of the liberal mainstream media, the most stunning First Lady in American history has never graced our nation’s major style magazine covers… @FLOTUS @realDonaldTrump,’ he tweeted along with a recent photo of Melania that was taken ahead of the Governors’ Ball.
Conservative outrage: Trump fans are upset that Melania Trump has yet to grace the cover of a national magazine as first lady
High Profile: Michelle Obama appeared on a whopping 12 magazine covers during her eight years as first lady — including three Vogue covers
Angry: Conservative actor James Woods took to Twitter over the weekend to gripe that Melania, 49, has ‘never graced our nation’s major style magazine covers’
In the image, Melania is wearing a sleeveless black dress with a thigh-high slit as she poses in the East Room of the White House.
James has shared similar messages over the past two years, and his latest tweet started yet another heated debate about whether or not the first lady should be featured on magazine covers.
Many of his right-wing supporters agreed that it was a shame and took to the comments to condemn the magazine industry for failing to recognize the first lady.
‘Absolutely unconscionable. She is the epitome of class and grace, elegance & intelligence,’ one person tweeted, while another agreed: ‘You’re exactly right. They can’t stand that she’s so beautiful and conservative.’
‘Those magazines are rags and garbage!! They are not worthy of having our incredible beautiful First Lady Melania on their covers,’ another added.
Making his case: Along with his tweet, he shared a recent photo of Melania wearing a black gown with a thigh-high slit in the East Room of the White House ahead of the Governors’ Ball
Unhappy: Many of James’ followers agreed with him and slammed the magazine industry
‘And because of that I no longer purchase magazines or designer clothing,’ someone else claimed. ‘It’s despicable the way they snub her, they are exposing themselves as the globalist arm of propaganda they are. Mrs. Trump is stunning and seems so graceful and kind.’
Some even went as far as making mock magazine covers with the first lady’s photo to make their points.
The PleaseVoteTrump account created its own ‘Vogue’ cover of Melania that featured various cover lines such as ‘The First Lady Tackles the Opioid Crisis’ and ‘Being the Best Melania Trump.’
Some argued that the current first lady doesn’t deserve to be featured on magazine covers because of her husband’s controversial politics.
‘Someone who does nothing about her bully husband and sees nothing wrong with children in cages, isn’t worthy of magazine covers, unless it’s [an] expose [on] her hypocrisy,’ one person commented. ‘As ugly as she is on the inside, I don’t care what the outside looks like.’
Argument: Many of Melania’s fans insisted that she is a style star and deserves to be featured in high-profile fashion magazines
Dedicated: Some people even went as far as making mock magazine covers with the first lady’s photo to make their points
All in: The PleaseVoteTrump account created its own ‘Vogue’ cover of Melania that featured various cover lines such as ‘The First Lady Tackles the Opioid Crisis’
In his tweet, James refers to Melania as the ‘most stunning First Lady in American history.’ A few people hit back at his comment with photos of all of Michelle’s covers — making it clear she is the most stunning first lady in their eyes.
Others were a bit more democratic in their arguments as to why the first lady has yet to be featured on the cover of any high-profile publication.
‘It might help if she were given more of an individual voice. Became a figure in her own right. I think that is why Michelle Obama was covered so frequently,’ one person wrote.
‘Perhaps she won’t agree to the interview that ALWAYS goes with the cover,’ another suggested. ‘Perhaps Vogue won’t agree to print the fake interview the WH wants them to print. But here she is, on Vogue, as a model. As Trump’s bride.’
Someone else argued: ‘All she has to do is leave her husband and magazine editors will be slobbering all over her.’
Hitting back: Critics of the Trumps argued that the current first lady doesn’t deserve to be featured on magazine covers because of her husband’s controversial politics
Just saying: Others insisted Melania isn’t as accomplished as Michelle and is likely unwilling to talk about her husband in interviews
Before Melania became first lady, she donned a Christian Dior wedding dress on the February 2005 cover of Vogue following her wedding to Trump. Five years prior to that, she starred in a nude cover shoot for British GQ when she was still known by her maiden name, Melania Knauss.
More recently, she covered the February 2017 issue of Vanity Fair Mexico, though the story and photos were recycled from a profile featured in GQ in April 2016. Both publications share the same parent company, Condé Nast.
In comparison, her predecessor, Michelle, starred on 12 covers in the eight years she spent as first lady — including three Vogue covers.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has never explicitly said she would not have Melania on the cover again, but she has suggested that she isn’t interested in doing so.
While conducting an interview with the editor for CNN in April 2019, Christiane Amanpour noted that Anna has made ‘overtly’ political statements with her political profiles.
Throwback: Before Melania became first lady, she donned a Christian Dior wedding dress on the February 2005 cover of Vogue following her wedding to Trump
Over it: Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (pictured with the Trumps in 2005) has suggested she is not interested in having Melania return as first lady for another cover shoot
She profiled Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat who was known to be plotting a 2020 run for the White House, in the April 2018 issue of the magazine.
‘Obviously these are women that we feel are icons and inspiring to women from a global perspective,’ Anna told the journalist, bringing up the Democrats. ‘I also feel even more strongly now that this is not a time to try — and I think one has to be fair, one has to look at all sides — but I don’t think it’s a moment not to take a stand.’
She intimated that Donald Trump’s politics were the reason the magazine was snubbing his wife.
‘Those of us that work at Condé Nast believe that you have to stand up for what you believe in and you have to take a point of view,’ she said.
Melania later hit back at Anna for taking a pass at having her on the cover of the fashion magazine.
‘To be on the cover of Vogue doesn’t define Mrs. Trump, she’s been there, done that long before she was First Lady,’ said her spokeswoman at the time, Stephanie Grisham.
It’s something: More recently, Melania covered the February 2017 issue of Vanity Fair Mexico, though the story and photos were recycled from a profile featured in GQ in April 2016
Then and now: Michelle covered 12 magazines, including Glamour (left), when she was first lady. She struck a pose for Essence a year after she left the White House (right)
She added that the comments demonstrate how ‘insecure’ and ‘small-minded’ that the Vogue editor is in a biting statement.
James has been drawing attention to Melania’s lack of American magazine covers for the past couple of years.
‘If the Trumps were Democrats, Melania would be on every cover of every chic women’s magazine in the world every month,’ he tweeted in 2018.
‘Some magazine editors may be putting politics ahead of money and vice versa,’ Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, told NBC News at the time.
Meanwhile, James Heidenry, the editorial director of Bauer Publishing Entertainment Group, noted that Melania is extremely private and often avoids requests for interviews.
‘She’s very locked down so we don’t really try,’ he explained. ‘It’s difficult to get real information on her.’