Melania Trump criticizes Vogue magazine for not including her on the cover
In Melania Trump's first interview since she left the White House last year, the former first lady called Vogue magazine "biased" for not putting her on her cover during her tenure. On Friday, Fox Nation host Pete Hegseth asked Trump why he thinks first ladies including Jill Biden, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton had been on the cover and she, in his words, "never" did. have done. (In fact, Trump appeared on the cover of the February 2005 issue in her wedding dress.)
"They're biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it's very obvious," Trump said. “And I think Americans and everyone sees it, and I have much more important things to do, and I did them in the White House, than being on the cover of Vogue.”
The Daily Beast reported that according to Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, a former unpaid senior adviser to the first lady, Vogue requested a photo shoot with Trump after her husband took office, but she refused because the magazine did not guarantee The cover. placement. (Vogue did not respond to The Post's request for comment.) The comments by Trump, a former model, come several months after first lady Jill Biden appeared on the cover of the influential fashion magazine in August 2021.
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Vogue, an influential fashion magazine founded in 1892, has rarely been shy about its perspective on fashion, celebrities and, indeed, politics. In a 2019 interview with Christiane Amanpour from Espanol. The magazine's longtime editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, said, in reference to the question of whom the magazine chooses to highlight: "I think one has to be fair, one has to look from all sides, but not I think it's a time not to take a position. You have to stand up for what you believe. You have to take a point of view. Our readers and audiences respect us. … I don't think you can try to please everyone all the time.”
In a 2019 interview with The Economist, when Wintour was asked if she felt Melania Trump was not the right person to spotlight, she responded, "I think it's important that Vogue supports women who are leading change in this country. ”.
While Vogue has traditionally done photo shoots with incoming first ladies, cover appearances are a relatively recent phenomenon. Even Jackie Kennedy, known for her style, only appeared in photographs on the inside pages of the magazine. Also included inside were photographs of Barbara Bush, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan.
When Hillary Clinton graced the cover in 1998, she was the first of the first ladies to appear on the cover of Vogue, a decision that Anna Wintour explained to Amanpour: "It was a moment where I felt like the first lady at the time had she behaved in a very brave way,” she said, referring to Clinton's handling of her husband's relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Vice President Harris made an appearance in January 2021, with photos that were criticized by some, including The Post's Robin Givhan, as too casual. And during Michelle Obama's tenure, she appeared on the cover three times, appearances that Wintour attributed to Obama's great taste in fashion and her refashioning of her role as first lady. "He made the White House a place for everyone," Wintour said.
During Trump's tenure in office, Melania was featured in several online-only articles on Vogue's websites, highlighting various outfits she wore at public events. Melania and Donald Trump have also made appearances at the Met Gala, an annual event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art chaired by Wintour, who chooses the guests.
While Vogue tends to favor celebrities on its cover (Rihanna has been on the cover several times), featuring political figures and activists on its pages isn't entirely out of the ordinary. British Vogue featured New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern inside the magazine in 2018, hailing her as the "anti-Trump." In 2019, the magazine highlighted the top contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination. Last year, 24-year-old activist Malala Yousafzai, known for risking her life to fight for girls' education in Pakistan, graced the cover of British Vogue.
"We profile women in the magazine who we believe in the stance they're taking on issues we support," Wintour told Amanpour.
