Vogue slammed for comparing Melania Trump's tuxedo to magician's outfit in brutal WH portrait review

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Vogue Magazine has faced backlash for its harsh critique of Melania Trump’s official White House portrait, which was unveiled on January 27.

The fashion publication referred to the First Lady's powerful pose in the photo as more fitting for a guest appearance on 'The Apprentice', the reality show hosted by her husband, Donald Trump in the 2000s.

Vogue criticizes Melania Trump's new official portrait

In the black-and-white portrait, photographed by Regine Mahaux, Melania Trump is depicted leaning slightly forward, hands resting on a reflective table, with the Washington Monument behind her. The First Lady, a former fashion model, chose a dark-colored suit paired with a crisp white shirt.

"Trump’s clothing certainly didn’t help the boardroom pastiche," Vogue's article written by Hannah Jackson notes. "The first lady wore a black Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket with satin trimmed lapels over a white button-up, which she paired with a Ralph Lauren cummerbund and trousers."

"The choice to wear a tuxedo—as opposed to a blazer or blouse—made Trump look more like a freelance magician than a public servant," Jackson writes. 

"It’s perhaps unsurprising that a woman who lived in a gold-encrusted penthouse, whose fame is so intertwined with a reality television empire, would refuse to abandon theatrics—even when faced with 248 years of tradition," states the article in the fashion publication.

This new 2025 portrait contrasts sharply with Melania’s 2017 official White House photo, where she appeared in color, smiling slightly in a soft-focus image while wearing a black blazer with her arms crossed, Fox News reported.

At the time, she faced criticism for wearing a massive 25-carat diamond ring, reportedly given to her by the president, with many deeming it an inappropriate display of wealth during a time of economic uncertainty.

Vogue's scathing review of Melania Trump's portrait sparks outrage on social media

The Vogue's review quickly sparked outrage on social media, with many defending Melania Trump against what they saw as a politically driven attack.

One user expressed frustration under the magazine’s post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "She’s stunning and rarely misses when it comes to fashion…your opinions are trash and based purely on politics. Pathetic."

Another comment read, "Vogue you are pathetic. Melania is beautiful and elegant."

A third commentator remarked, "Vogue has become the magazine of irrelevant mean girls and aging cat ladies."

Some also accused the magazine of being biased, "Smugness and biased critique is soooooo 2016. Not one single First Lady has dressed better or had the cutting edge of fashion than @FLOTUS Melania Trump.....and YOU KNOW IT."

Another wrote, "Melania is a fashion icon - you washed up old cat ladies who run these political hit pieces. Vogue magazine is an enemy of women. The real ones."

"Ah - so Vogue isn't about fashion, it's about bullying... okee dokee," said a critic of Vogue.

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