A video of Donald Trump and Melania Trump has the internet buzzing. The clip shows the native New Yorker shielding himself from light rainfall with a large umbrella as the first lady is left to fend for herself.
The Republican leader was dressed in khaki slacks, a white button-up polo, a black coat, and brown shoes. Along with the umbrella, he held a red ball cap in his hand. Melania wore blue skinny jeans, a black top, a black hoodless coat, and black boots.
He raved about Melania’s ABC News interview and his appearance on “60 Minutes.” “She did a great job on television the other night, and I didn’t do so bad either, but she did a great job on television,” he gushed. All the while, Melania stood uncovered as small droplets of rain fell. Even after the brief banter, Trump continued to shield himself from the elements.
The footage was first aired in October 2018 after Hurricane Michael battered parts of the Georgia coast and Florida. The press was set up at the White House as the couple made their way from the residence to Marine One.
On Instagram, new reactions to the clip include comments like, “The lack of respect is astounding.” One user sarcastically joked, “True love. LOL.” A third person wrote, “As always, he thinks and cares about no one except himself!” “He is no gentleman …. WTF does she see in him,” said a fourth individual.
A contrarian typed, “Omg!! What happened to women’s independence ?” While someone else defended Trump with, “Yeah, look into puddle. It’s not even raining you people in your comments. You’ll just jump on the bandwagon about everything.”
A similar scene unfolded months earlier, in February 2018. That time, the real estate developer left Melania and their son, Barron Trump, trailing behind him on the stairs to Air Force One during inclement weather. Again, he had an umbrella to keep dry. His family, however, was left to get soaked.
Donald Trump boards Air Force One in the rain holding a large umbrella — wife and son trail behind pic.twitter.com/esWTEr7lvR
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 27, 2018
But his lack of chivalry is only part of the discourse. A few people jumped at the opportunity to joke that Trump’s actions were a necessary act of self-preservation. “He scared his tan would wash off,” said one critic. The reality TV showman has long been mocked for his orange and overly bronzed appearance.
During a 2019 Republican policy retreat, he claimed, “The lights no good. I always look orange,” during a rant about energy efficient bulbs. Another person who took notice remarked that he was “afraid of his hair going flat and his makeup running.”
Others were distracted by 45’s pants, which appeared bulky in the crotch region. “Can clearly see the diaper line,” quipped a heckler. Another chimed in to say, “Think his diaper is full.”
There’s a lot of talk about boots today but we need to talk about the fact that Mr. Trump apparently wears adult diapers.
— Free (@KaladinFree) October 31, 2023
Can we trust him with the nuclear codes if he can’t even trust his own bladder?#diapergate pic.twitter.com/KD7n4jwxAL
Thus far, no credible reports about the real estate developer having incontinence issues have been published, but the rumor, which spread after he sat through a three-hour interview with Joe Rogan in 2024 without taking a bathroom break, lives on.
