On Christmas day, Melania Trump’s otherwise-stoic holiday season resulted in a surprisingly joyous selfie — her first since becoming First Lady.
Early Christmas morning, FLOTUS shared a photo on her personal Twitter and Instagram accounts of herself wearing a red Santa hat with the hashtag #MerryChristmas — a “cherished and beautiful phrase” that her husband claimed on Twitter to have “led the charge against the assault of.” (What??) In the photo, Mrs. Trump uses what appears to be a special holiday Snapchat filter, as miniature reindeer prance around her head.
Like all things Melania, the selfie makes us wonder: What is she thinking? But also: Is Melania Trump on Snapchat, or did she steal Barron’s phone? What is her username? Does she have a finsta, too?
In the photo, the former model purses her lips and raises her sculpted brows in a half-surprised, half-duck-face pose, as if to say, “Isn’t technology amazing?” Or “Oops! It’s me!” The expression in her eyes looks strained, though, like she’d been holding the pose for minutes on end, trying to get the timing and angle just right. (Anyone who’s ever taken a Snapchat selfie can relate.)
Melania Trump’s heavy makeup and perfectly coiffed hair suggest much thought and planning went into the photo. (So did a lot of postproduction work, judging by her contoured cheekbones and smooth skin.) However, her white top, which looks like terrycloth, might indicate that she was actually in the middle of getting done up for Christmas morning in Mar-a-Lago. Was she wearing a bathrobe? If so, this selfie could have been an impromptu act of self-expression — a rarity for the First Lady.
Despite Mrs. Trump’s personal efforts, the quality of the photo is strikingly poor and pixelated. Is this a burner phone? A cry for help? Or has this image just gone through layers and layers of filters? The latter seems most likely, and in keeping with most of her appearances.
Nonetheless, this selfie is a big deal for someone who hasn’t posted one in a year. As they say: New year, new you.