U.S. President Donald Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, has consistently ranked as one of the least popular first ladies. This time, she has broken her own record by receiving an even lower favorability rating than she did last time.
As per the data collected by YouGov, “Melania’s popularity has reached a record low rating at 36%. The breakdown shows that 43% of Americans dislike her, and 18% stated that they have a neutral stance towards her. When Melania left the White House in 2021, she had an approval rating of 42%, which was the lowest on record for any first lady,” Irish Star reported.
It should be noted here that former First Lady Michelle Obama’s votes stand in stark contrast to Melania’s. Michelle was a lot more involved as a first lady, and when she left the White House in January 2017, she had a 68% favorability rating.
Melania Trump the worst First Lady in trumps 1.0, snd has disappeared
She doesn’t live at the WH, she dissed Jill Biden in Nov, she’s rude & if ANY other First Lady had acted like this in the past, Michelle or Jill, Repubs would have had a field day!
“I really don’t care do you” pic.twitter.com/vz2hkbf8hZ
— Donna🦋👩🎨 #Resister (@donnasfineart) February 24, 2025
Now, as this year comes to a close, Melania’s public perception has appeared to be in a more dismal condition than when she first entered the White House. One of the key reasons behind her being perceived negatively among the public might be her lack of public presence, especially during Trump’s second term.
The previous First Ladies had a more documented presence than Melania. While it has been established that Trump’s third wife probably does not love the spotlight as much as her husband, she still has certain responsibilities as the First Lady, which took a back seat during Trump’s second term.
When Trump was sworn in for the first time as the US President, Melania was more present at the White House. However, when Trump became the President for the second time, there were prolonged periods when Melania’s whereabouts were not made clear, and she did not appear beside her husband even during various important events.
This absence naturally affected her perception among the common population, which some critics interpreted as disengagement for the American citizens to remain present. Besides her absence, certain actions of hers, including her “Be Best” initiative and questionable fashion choices, have also very likely contributed to her low percentage of favorable votes.
While Melania had received initial praise when she launched the Be Best initiative, it soon became evident that it was promising more than it was doing. The initiative sounded great in theory, but when it came to practical results, it did not deliver much, which led to Melania being brutally criticized.
One of the most uninteresting First Lady this country has ever had. https://t.co/farAyZafok
— Cieraaa (@_SharingMyMind) December 28, 2025
Another instance that might have also negatively affected Melania’s favorability among the common U.S. population was the jacket she had worn during a 2018 trip to a facility that was housing detained migrant children on the U.S.–Mexico border. On her jacket, it was written, “I Don’t Really Care, Do U?” Wearing a jacket with a message like this, while visiting migrant children in a detention center, naturally drew backlash as people questioned what she was thinking as she decided to flaunt the message.
Melania later clarified that her message was intended for “left-wing media who are criticizing me,” but that did not change the public perception of her. She could have chosen any other occasion to wear that jacket, but choosing to wear it on a sensitive visit backfired spectacularly.
Besides the common population, several Hollywood celebrities have also been very vocal about their displeasure with Melania. The First Lady has also been criticized for maintaining silence even on topics and controversies that demanded her voice.
