In her forthcoming memoir, former first lady Melania Trump addresses the controversial “I really don’t care, do u?” jacket she wore in 2018 while visiting a migrant detention center at the US-Mexico border. Melania claims she wore the jacket to send a message to the media criticizing her, but her press secretary at the time, Stephanie Grisham, prevented her from speaking the truth about its meaning. The jacket quickly sparked controversy and backlash, with many questioning Melania’s motives behind the message.
According to Melania’s memoir, when she boarded the plane at the end of the tour, her press secretary’s inbox was flooded with urgent emails from top-tier media outlets regarding the jacket. Melania explained that the jacket was a message to the media to show she was unconcerned with their opinions of her, but Grisham insisted she couldn’t say that. Melania disagreed with Grisham’s stance and argued that it was the truth. Despite Melania’s comments, Grisham told a CNN reporter that it was simply a fashion choice with no underlying message.
In her memoir, Melania blames the media frenzy over the jacket for overshadowing the importance of the children at the border and the policy changes being made. She views it as an example of the media’s irresponsible behavior. On the other hand, Grisham addressed the jacket saga in her own memoir, revealing that Melania had been told off by Donald Trump when they returned to the White House. Grisham contradicted Melania’s claim that she came up with the idea to wear the jacket as a protest against the media, stating that Trump was actually behind it.
Following the controversy surrounding the jacket, Grisham abruptly resigned as Melania’s chief of staff in 2021 and has since become an outspoken critic of the Trump family. Melania has previously addressed the jacket saga, stating that she wore it as a protest against the “left-wing media” who had been criticizing her. The differing accounts of the jacket’s meaning and the individuals involved highlight the complexities and controversies surrounding Melania Trump’s role and actions during her time as first lady.
