Former first lady Melania Trump has accused fashion magazine Vogue of being "biased" for not putting her on the cover of one of its issues during her time in the White House.
Trump spoke to Fox Nation's Pete Hegseth in her first interview since her husband, former President Donald Trump, left office on January 20 and was asked about the apparent snub.
Both first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris graced the cover of the magazine in 2021 but Trump was not featured during the four years of her husband's administration.
Hegseth asked Trump how she put up with "the constant criticism."
"Take Vogue, for example — five months into Joe Biden's presidency, Jill Biden's on the cover," Hegseth said. "Kamala Harris is on the cover before she's even sworn in. Hillary Clinton was on the cover when she was first lady. Michelle [Obama] was on the cover three times. Yet with your business background and your fashion background and your beauty, never on the cover of Vogue. Why the double standard?"
"They're biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it's so obvious," Trump replied.
"And I think American people and everyone sees it. It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do - and I did in the White House - than being on the cover of Vogue," the former first lady added.
Trump had appeared on the cover of Vogue in 2005 when she married Donald Trump, who was then best known as a New York property mogul. The magazine had exclusive pictures of Trump in her wedding dress.
The former first lady also reportedly declined a Vogue photo shoot shortly after former President Trump came to office because the magazine could not guarantee her the cover.
Not every recent first lady has appeared on the cover of Vogue. While Michelle Obama and Jill Biden have done so, former first lady Laura Bush did not. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the first first lady to feature on the magazine's cover, appearing in 1998.
Hegseth also asked Trump about the current shortage of baby formula and she appeared to blame U.S. leadership for the problem.
A major manufacturer of infant formula, Abbott Nutrition, withdrew certain products from sale in February as a result of bacterial infections in babies and shut down the company's plant in Sturgis, Michigan. Those factors have combined with supply chain issues and inflation to exacerbate shortages.
"It's heartbreaking to see that they are struggling and the food is not available for children in 21st century in the United States of America," Trump said.
"Why is it happening?" Hegseth asked.
"Leadership," the former first lady said.
Newsweek has asked Vogue for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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