When Melania Trump donned a black shirtdress to the United Nations General Assembly this week, she sparked a conspiracy theory that she wore the solemn shade in solidarity with sexual assault survivors.
From her 'I really don't care, do u' jacket to her pussy-bow blouse, there is a long-running belief that the first lady uses fashion to make subtle political statements — despite her ongoing support for her husband, President Donald Trump.
The collared midi dress that Melania, 48, wore to watch her husband speak at the UN headquarters in New York City on Tuesday had people taking to Twitter to speculate that her ensemble was an indication of her support for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and the #BelieveSurvivors movement.
Ford accused Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school, and on Monday — the day before Melania's appearance at the U.N. — supporters wore black while participating in a walk-out launched by the #TimesUp movement.
Democrat Sen. Kamala Harris and actresses Kerry Washington, Allison Janney, and Debra Messing were among those who donned black on the day of the walk-out.
The next morning, people questioned if Melania's black dress at the UN was her own show of solidarity for sexual assault survivors.
'Is Melania wearing black in solidarity today?' a woman named Rachel tweeted.
'Melania's wearing black - is this her moment to stand with sexual assault victims?' Martine Addison asked. 'Not quite as obvious as her "I don't care" jacket, but of all the colors to wear at this time...'
'Was wondering same thing, spotted it right away. Sure Trump has no clue. lol,' someone named Jody responded.
'Huh is it strange that @FLOTUS is wearing all black? Could she be showing some support for @womensmarch and #DrChristineBlaseyFord #NoKavanaugh #wearblack #WeBelieveSurvivors #WeBelieveHer #BlueWave,' another Twitter user asked.
Meanwhile, Mark Wilson tweeted that he found it 'interesting' that Melania dressed in all black during her visit to the UN.
'Did anyone notice Melania trolling drumpf? She's wearing black like the walk out #WeBelieveHer did,' someone else added.
Despite the speculation, it's not uncommon for Melania to wear black or monochromatic outfits for that matter.
She's donned numerous black dresses throughout Trump's presidency, and during last year's visit to the UN headquarters, she opted for a black button-down shirt, which she wore under a gray Calvin Klein suit.
Following Ford's accusation, a second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, came forward on Sunday and claimed the judge exposed himself to her and thrust his penis in her face when they were at a college party at Yale.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Julie Swetnick made a sworn declaration that she was gang-raped at a high school party attended by Kavanaugh.
She alleges that Kavanaugh and his friends would spike 'punch' with grain alcohol or drugs to 'cause girls to lose their inhibitions and their ability to say 'No.''
Kavanaugh has denied all three accusations, and Trump has fervently defended him. Melania, meanwhile, hasn't commented on any of the sexual misconduct accusations against the judge.
However, in Omarosa Newman-Manigault's latest book, Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House, she claims Melania's controversial fashion choices are made to intentionally embarrassed her husband.
According to the fired White House aide, the first lady uses her style to 'punish' Trump, and the statement jacket she wore to the border was just her latest act of rebellion.
While the first lady's spokesperson denied there was a hidden meaning behind her choice of outerwear that day, Omarosa claims Melania deliberately wore the jacket to 'hurt' the president.
Omarosa alleges that Melania's 'style rebellions' have been 'intentionally misleading,' since Trump's presidential campaign and throughout his presidency.
'As a student of fashion and keenly image-conscious woman, she knows that everyone of her style choices will be scrutinized and debated,' she explains in her book.
'Why did she wear a Gucci 'pussy bow' pink blouse to the presidential debate immediately after the Access Hollywood bombshell?
'Did she purposefully wear a Hillary Clinton-esque white pantsuit to Trump's first State of the Union address?
'Did she mean to come off as out of touch and tone-dead by wearing snakeskin stiletto heels to hurricane-ravaged Texas?
'The messages behind her style choices aren't always clear, but they are never accidental.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
