United States First Lady Melania Trump attracted criticism on Thursday for wearing a jacket with the words “I really don’t care, do u [you]?” while on a trip to meet children of immigrants housed in detention centres in Texas.
Following severe backlash on social media, Trump’s spokesperson Stephanie Grisham told reporters there was no “hidden message” in the jacket. “After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe,” she said, according to Reuters.
The First Lady had on Sunday called for an end to the separation of children from their parents who had been detained by US border officials.
US President Donald Trump defended his wife’s choice of wardrobe, claiming that the words on the jacket refer to the “fake news media”. “Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she no longer truly cares!” Trump said.
However, Twitter users were not so kind. Some claimed that the message was “intentional”, while others called the move “tone deaf”.
Trump’s immigration policy
In May, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy that allows authorities to file criminal charges against undocumented immigrants. This has led to nearly 2,000 children being separated from their parents in just six weeks.
Following widespread criticism, President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to keep families who illegally cross the US southern border together as they await immigration proceedings.
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