Melania wears ‘I really don’t care do u?’ coat on migrant visit
Image copyright Getty ImagesFirst Lady Melania Trump has been criticised for the choice of her jacket worn on a trip to a migrant child detention centre in Texas.
Mrs Trump was spotted in the jacket, which featured graffiti writing on the back with the words "I really don't care do u?", as she boarded a plane.
Her spokeswoman said "there was no hidden message" in her sartorial choice.
The $39 (£29) jacket from Zara has caused an uproar on social media.
Skip Twitter post by @meridithmcgraw
NEW: @FLOTUS spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham when asked what message the first lady's jacket intends to send: "It's a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope this isn't what the media is going to choose to focus on."
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) June 21, 2018
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Mrs Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham lambasted US media on Twitter for focusing on her fashion choice.
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Today’s visit w the children in Texas impacted @flotus greatly. If media would spend their time & energy on her actions & efforts to help kids - rather than speculate & focus on her wardrobe - we could get so much accomplished on behalf of children. #SheCares #ItsJustAJacket
— Stephanie Grisham (@StephGrisham45) June 21, 2018
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Mrs Trump was not seen wearing the green khaki jacket when she first arrived in Texas.
Instead she wore a cream-coloured jacket as she exited the plane still wearing the same white jeans and Adidas sneakers.
Pretty tone deaf
Katty Kay, BBC World News presenter, Washington
Melania Trump's empathetic visit to the Mexican border risks being overshadowed by the unempathetic message on the back of her jacket.
It stretches credulity that the first lady would make the effort to fly down to Texas, visit children, talk to staff and engage in this heartbreaking story only to deliberately undermine it with a callous choice of clothing.
It's not clear how this was allowed to slip through the careful White House protocols but it's a mistake on the part of her staff.
I give her the benefit of the doubt on compassion - but if she chose to wear this without thinking, it was pretty tone deaf.
Twitter users were quick to criticise the first lady's jacket faux pas and the not-so-hidden message.
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Of course "there was no hidden message"...it wasn't hidden at all. @FLOTUS doesn't care.
— Brandon (@BMJWright) June 21, 2018
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Skip Twitter post by @subrawoman
#MelaniaTrump created the "Be Best" campaign and then wears a jacket that says, "I Really Don't Care." On her way to meet with immigrant children being held at border facilities. Cool, cool. I guess it was Opposite Day when she created that little ditty.
— Kiran S. (@subrawoman) June 21, 2018
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Methinks it was a Freudian slip-of a jacket.
— NovaLight (@NovaLight19) June 21, 2018
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Mrs Trump made the previously unannounced visit to a child migrant detention centre on Thursday, saying she wanted to help reunited migrant children who were separated from their families.
Media playback is unsupported on your deviceHer tour of the federally funded Upbring New Hope Children's Shelter in McAllen, Texas, housing dozens of Central American children came as her husband's administration sought to quell the firestorm over migrant separations.
- Confusion over fate of US migrant children
The majority of the 55 children housed at the facility crossed the border unaccompanied, but some were separated from their parents as part of the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration.
Programme director Rogelio De La Cerda Jr told Mrs Trump that the majority of the children had arrived from Guatemala, and are normally "very distraught" when they first arrive.
Mrs Trump mingled with children during their lessons, asking them how long they had been in the facility and how often they are able to speak to their parents.
"Be kind and nice to others, OK?," she said, with her words at times being translated into Spanish.
"Good luck," she told another group of children.
This is not the first time Mrs Trump has come under fire for her wardrobe.
Ahead of a visit with victims of Hurricane Harvey last year, photos of the first lady heading to the airport in stiletto heels drew ire on social media.
She changed into sneakers before landing in Texas, but people still questioned her decision.
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Nothing says I'm in touch with the people like... https://t.co/ZD6cEfG0LS
— Todd Stashwick (@ToddStashwick) August 29, 2017
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