Streep and Wintour Talk Style, Identity, and Memorable Outfits in Vogue Feature

The “Devil Wears Prada” star has weighed in on the Trump couple’s public image, revisiting one of Melania Trump’s most talked-about fashion moments and drawing renewed attention to it.

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.

But for the Oscar winner, the reaction itself was the most troubling part.

Meryl Streep delivers her Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, January 8, 2017 | Source: Getty Images

Meryll said the moment deeply affected her because it happened in real life, not on screen. She added:

“And this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”

The incident she referred to was widely reported at the time.

During a campaign event in South Carolina in 2015, Donald drew criticism after appearing to mock a reporter with a disability, according to CNN.

In footage from the event, Donald was seen gesturing and imitating the reporter while defending a disputed claim, prompting backlash. The reporter he referenced worked for The New York Times and has a chronic condition.

These separate moments involving Donald and Melania were not isolated. A recent appearance during this year’s Easter event drew similar attention.

As previously reported, Donald stepped back into the public eye for the White House Easter Egg Roll…but it wasn’t long before someone else became the real focus online. And once the photos started making the rounds, netizens wasted no time zooming in, comparing angles, and sharing plenty of theories of their own.

Scroll to the end to see the photos!

The appearance came amid renewed public attention after hospitalization rumors about Donald spread across social media over the weekend, with White House officials vehemently pushing back on the claims, according to several outlets covering the event.

But while that may have set the backdrop, the conversation quickly swerved in a far more unexpected direction.

At the event, Donald and Melania were seen together in a series of closely watched moments, including walking among attendees and interacting with children during the Easter festivities on April 6.

In several of the photos, Melania appeared poised and camera-ready in a dark blazer layered over a white top and light-toned pants, while Donald wore a navy suit with a pale blue tie.

Another moment from the day drew even more attention when the couple appeared on a White House balcony to address the crowd. In a video from that appearance, Donald could be heard praising his wife in especially glowing terms, calling attention to her star power in front of the audience.

“I think this is our first lady. What do you think of our first lady? She’s a movie star. I don’t know. Do we call her first [sic] lady or a movie star? She has the biggest movie. Can you believe this? And she deserves it. Would you like to say a couple of words to your friends?” Donald said.

That affectionate introduction only added fuel to the online fascination, because once people began looking more closely at the images, Melania’s appearance became the main talking point.

Instead of focusing on the event itself, many spectators zeroed in on her face, her expressions, her styling, and even whether she looked like herself at all in the photos being shared.

On Facebook, some commenters were immediately skeptical. “That surely does not look like Melania,” one person wrote. Another commenter echoed the same reaction, “Doesn’t look like Melania to me 🤨.”

Over on Instagram, reactions were just as lively, but far less consistent. Some people read the photos as sweet and flattering, with one fan commenting, “His wife looks so happy!”

Another reiterated, “Look how happy his wife looks. 😂.” That light, amused tone stood in sharp contrast to the more critical responses appearing elsewhere, as not everyone saw happiness in the images.