When Donald Trump Got Mad at US Fashion Magazines for 'Snubbing' Wife Melania: 'Elitist Snobs'

Former President Donald Trump once took to X (then Twitter) to express his frustration with leading US lifestyle magazines for not featuring his wife, Melania Trump, on a single front-page cover during his time in office. He proclaimed Melania 'the greatest of all time,' echoing a sentiment shared by many of his supporters who felt the fashion press was unfairly overlooking her style quotient.

Donald's tweet was prompted by a Breitbart post criticizing what they called the 'elitist snobs in the fashion press' for neglecting the 'most elegant First Lady in American history.' US actor and Trump supporter James Woods tweeted in February 2020, saying, "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." 

The absence of Melania from US newsstands has long been noticed by Donald supporters, who have also accused the US press of showing their liberal bias by giving the former president Barack Obama's wife 12 magazine covers during her two terms as First Lady—three of which were published by Vogue. Since its founding in 1892, Vogue has never shied away from expressing its opinions on politics, celebrities, and fashion.

Regarding the subject of who the magazine chooses to feature, the magazine's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, stated in a 2019 interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, "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. You have to stand up for what you believe in. You have to take a point of view. Our readers and audiences respect us... I don’t think you can try to please everybody all the time."

Melania also labeled Vogue magazine 'biased' after leaving the White House for not including her on the cover while she was in office. Melania declared, "They are biased, and they have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious." "And I think American people and everyone see it, and I have much more important things to do — and I did in the White House — than being on the cover of Vogue." After her husband took office, Melania was asked to participate in a photoshoot by Vogue, but she turned it down since the magazine did not promise a cover spot, according to Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, a former unpaid senior adviser to the first lady.

When questioned if she didn't think Melania was the ideal person to feature in a 2019 interview with the Economist, Wintour said, "I think it’s important for Vogue to support women who are leading change in this country," as per The Washington Post. Melania, however, came under fire from readers of Vogue and magazine publishers for remarks she made during a secret phone call that was leaked regarding Wintour's choice to allow Beyoncé to guest-edit an issue of the publication. During the July 2018 call, which was leaked to NBC, the former first lady stated, "Anna gave the September issue of Vogue cover – complete, complete, complete, everything – to Beyoncé."