Melania Trump, Michelle Obama Funeral Photo Goes Viral

First Lady Melania Trump’s fashion choices often catch the public eye, and her recent wardrobe selection for her attendance at the memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter was no exception.

The wife of former President Jimmy Carter, died on November 19 at her Plains, Georgia, home at the age of 96; her memorial took place on Tuesday.

Paying their respects to the late first lady, President and first lady Joe and Jill Biden, former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton, and past first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, among others, all attended.

Trump, known for sporting glamorous looks when supporting her husband and on her solo appearances, decided to opt to wear a gray coat to the memorial, with fellow former first ladies choosing to wear black and dark outfits.

Melania Trump at the memorial service on November 28, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump’s outfit choice has been highly discussed online.
Brynn Anderson-Pool/Getty Images

Her ensemble has been heavily criticized online, with many debating if the color was appropriate to wear to a memorial, especially one so public.

Author and conservative activist Brigitte Gabriel supported her color choice and shared an image on X, formerly Twitter, and her thoughts on Trump’s time in the coveted role of first lady.

The post of an image of Trump entering the memorial, followed by Obama, Bush and Clinton was accompanied by a comment saying how she was the “best first lady” in the image.

Gabriel’s bold statement has divided social media users, causing more of a frenzy around her outfit.

She captioned the image: “Melania Trump is the BEST First Lady in this picture, and it’s not close!”

The post, which was shared in the early hours of Wednesday morning, had been viewed over 291,000 times when this article was published, received over 2,000 comments, and been liked over 13,000 times.

Supporting her claim, a fellow fan said: “Most attractive FLOTUS of all time.”

A third added: “And she never even has to try…she just is in all ways – inside and outside. A great and compassionate and wise First Lady. God bless and protect her.”

A neutral voice chimed in: “I think they all played their part in a unique way and we should respect it,” with another echoing that statement: “ALL THE FIRST LADIES IN THIS PICTURE ARE THE BEST AND NO ONE IS IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER. THANK YOU.”

Hitting out at the claim, a social media user declared: “Lol, no way this isn’t a parody account.”

Another jabbed: “Melanoma was the worst First Lady in history,” with a second commenting: “Really? What did she achieve?”

Trump’s appearance at the memorial was dubbed a “cat walk” moment by her former aid Stephanie Winston Wolkoff who said she used it as a “photo op,” but offsetting that etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas Diane Gottsman, told Newsweek on Tuesday that somber gray was a “perfectly acceptable color for funerals” and that “her choice of outfit was conservative and respectful.”

Newsweek has reached out to Brigitte Gabriel via her website and emailed Melania Trump’s team for comment.