A years-old fashion controversy is back in focus after Meryl Streep revisited one of US First Lady Melania Trump’s most talked-about style moments, but her reaction reaches beyond fashion.
In a new Vogue interview, Streep spoke with former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour about fashion and identity before turning to a moment that once sparked global backlash, linking it to a broader pattern she has addressed before.
Meryl Streep is seen outside “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in New York City on April 1, 2026 | Source: Getty Images
Meryl Streep Weighs in on the Moment
In an interview with the fashion magazine, the conversation began with a broader look at how personal style reflects identity. Anna pointed to figures she admires, including former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Whether she’s wearing J.Crew or Duro Olowu or Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, she always looks like herself,” the British editor said.
She also praised New York City’s first lady, noting that she looks “so cool,” favors vintage pieces, and maintains a style that feels both young and modern while staying true to herself. The focus then turned to the current First Lady.
Anna Wintour attends Milan Fashion Week in Italy on February 28, 2026 | Source: Getty Images
Anna observed, “To be fair, Melania Trump also always looks like herself when she dresses.” Meryl, however, took a different view.
Meryl Streep is seen filming “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in New York City on July 25, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
She told the publication:
“I have so many thoughts about this. I think the most…powerful message that our current first lady sent was in the coat that said ‘I Really Don’t Care, Do U?’ when she was going to see migrant children who were incarcerated. All dress is about expressing yourself, but we’re also subject to larger historical and political sweeps of expectation.”
Meryl Streep on the set of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in New York City, August 1, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
In the same interview, Meryl also described the message behind Melania’s jacket as “destabilizing.”
A Closer Look at the First Lady’s Outfit from Years Ago
The jacket drew widespread backlash in 2018 when Melania wore it while traveling to visit migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border. The message on the back quickly became the focus, with critics questioning its timing.
After initially downplaying any meaning behind the green jacket, Melania said it was a deliberate choice aimed at her critics. Accoridng to ABC News, she stated, “I want to show them that I don’t care. You could criticize whatever you want to say, but it will not stop me to do what I feel is right.”
She later acknowledged the jacket conveyed a statement.
Melania Trump at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on June 21, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
Melania explained to the news outlet, “It was kind of a message, yes. I would prefer that they would focus on what I do and on my initiatives than what I wear.”
She said the jacket was not intended for the children and explained that she wore it during travel before and after the visit, adding that she put it back on afterward because the media had become “obsessed” with it.
But for Meryl, the issue went far beyond a single outfit.
Melania Trump steps into a vehicle wearing a green jacket with the words “I really don’t care, do you?” printed on the back | Source: Getty Images
What Meryl Streep Could Not Forget
Years earlier, while accepting the Cecil B. deMille Award at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards, Meryl Streep criticized Melania’s husband, President Donald Trump, for appearing to imitate a reporter with a disability during a campaign appearance.
She said the moment had a strong emotional impact on her. Although she did not see anything positive in it, she acknowledged that it achieved its effect by drawing laughter and reactions from its audience.
