First Lady Melania Trump caused a stir with the liberal media on Thursday when she wore a questionable jacket with “I really don’t care. Do you?” written on the back. She headed off to visit the children at the border who were separated from their parents. Of course, the gossip-prone media spend a considerable about of time trying to divine the secret meaning of the wardrobe choice and there were those who suggested she was saying that to the kids. CNN’s The Lead had both.
“The First Lady's office is pushing back against reporters who asked about the First Lady's jacket of choice as she boarded Air Force One headed for Texas today,” announced host Jake Tapper. “The First Lady's communications director told CNN, quote, ‘It's a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn't going to choose to focus on her wardrobe,’ unquote.”
Tapper then turned the discussion over to his all-female panel who wasted no time in tearing the First Lady down. “[W]hy does she wear this jacket? It doesn't -- I mean, it was raining today. You imagine she could have used an umbrella,” whined CNN senior political reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson.
Henderson was perplexed by why the First Lady would want to wear such a jacket given how she knew the media would be there and suggested, “I just don't think it really passes the smell test here.” The CNN reporter then went to a petty level and knocked Melania’s ability to pick her clothes. “I'm sure she has lots of jackets. It’s like a $39 jacket from ZARA from 2016 I think. It’s an old, old jacket,” she declared.
After Tapper questioned how a jacket from two-years-ago could be considered old, Washington Examiner columnist Kristen Soltis Anderson teamed up with Henderson to criticize the jacket as ugly:
ANDERSON: She’s a stylish lady and in the course of being first lady, I believe worn dozens of different coats. And many of them are beautiful.
HENERSON: This one is not.
ANDERSON: This one is not.
Anderson when on to lament how “this White House has an incredible ability to take something good that has happened and convert it into something that is a bad story for them.” One of her examples was the North Korea summit being upstaged by Trump’s immigration policy. But anyone watching the news coverage of the summit would realize that the liberal media didn’t want the summit to be a positive note.
The third woman on the panel was Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress, and she was convinced the jacket was meant to accurately project the administration's attitude towards the kids. “Maybe it's a moment of true candor of her. I mean, this administration doesn't care about these kids. They obviously don’t care about these kids,” she bitterly proclaimed.
“Maybe she's telegraphing for the world the reality of what's going on,” Tanden continued. “So at the end of the day, the reality is this White House has not seen these children as human beings…”
This kind of wild speculation about the meaning of Melania’s outfits is a common narrative when the media trying to attack this administration. During the State of the Union earlier this year, CNN suggested she was wearing white to protest her husband. It’s interesting that they thought she was wearing the jacket to spite the kids and not to spite her husband since it was his policy. They must pick whichever explanation they think is more damaging.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN
The Lead
June 21, 2018
4:37:19 PM EasternJAKE TAPPER: During an unannounced visit to a detention facility for migrant children in McAllen, Texas earlier today, First Lady Melania Trump thanked volunteers, talked to children through a translator, shook hands with some of them, told them to be nice to each other. She also asked doctors and facility owners about the physical and mental states of the children.
The First Lady's office is pushing back against reporters who asked about the First Lady's jacket of choice as she boarded Air Force One headed for Texas today. The jacket said on the back, “I really don't care. Do you?” The First Lady's communications director told CNN, quote, “It's a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn't going to choose to focus on her wardrobe,” unquote. To which, the ACLU responded, quote, “Okay, we'll focus on how the administration has no plan to reunite the thousands of children it separated, instead.”
My panel is here with me here. Nia?
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Yes.
TAPPER: The jacket, thoughts?
HENDERSON: You know, why? You know, why does she wear this jacket? It doesn't -- I mean, it was raining today. You imagine she could have used an umbrella. Here's a trip they designed to in part be about the projection of compassion. Right? It was about the cameras being there. They had a press pool with them. They knew the cameras would be there, so the idea that what she is wearing and this sort of image projecting with the clothes doesn't matter I just don't think it really passes the smell test here.
I'm sure she has lots of jackets. It’s like a $39 jacket from ZARA from 2016 I think. It’s an old, old jacket.
TAPPER: 2016 is “old, old”?
[crosstalk]
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON: She’s a stylish lady and in the course of being first lady, I believe worn dozens of different coats. And many of them are beautiful.
HENERSON: This one is not.
ANDERSON: This one is not. And I just -- this White House has an incredible ability to take something good that has happened and convert it into something that is a bad story for them. Whether it's last week a really good news cycle for them coming out of the summit in North Korea summit. The President's numbers looking good, economy is looking good and suddenly you decide to implement this policy that's going to take children away from their parents and create a nightmare.
Similarly, at a smaller scale, you have a great story today of the First Lady going down and showing compassion for these children and yet you have this jacket. Why did no one say, maybe pick one of your other beautiful coats, Melania? Just I don't understand.
NEERA TANDEN: Maybe it's a moment of true candor of her. I mean, this administration doesn't care about these kids. They obviously don’t care about these kids.
TAPPER: Do you think Melania Trump really doesn't care about these kids? Melania Trump, who went down there today?
TANDEN: I’m not saying she doesn’t. Maybe she's telegraphing for the world the reality of what's going on. Because she’s living with Donald Trump, who as she's going to the border is attacking Democrats and still talking about immigrants as if they're all gang members. So at the end of the day, the reality is this White House has not seen these children as human beings and that is why we have the policy we have. And I'm glad there's an uproar in America but the only reason why Melania went down there or Ivanka is tweeting is because there is a public backlash. Not because they cared about these kids a week ago, two weeks ago or a month ago.
TAPPER: Or when the policy was implemented in April.
(…)
