Melania Trump’s White Hat Sparks Internet Meme Glory

Melania Trump wore an eye-catching wide-brimmed white hat to a White House event on Tuesday morning, and viewers couldn’t help drawing some famous comparison.

The first lady appeared alongside President Donald Trump to host the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte. Melania wore white from head to toe, including a white skirt, a white jacket cinched just above her waist, and a white sun hat pulled low over her forehead.

It wasn’t long before the hat became a viral sensation, trending under the hashtag #MelaniaHat. A gag Twitter account was even set up by the end of the afternoon, purporting to “offer the unfiltered thoughts going on under the white hat.”

Mostly, however, the hat drew celebrity comparisons.

“[G]etting some serious Beyoncé Formation vibes from Melania’s hat this morning,” one person noted.

“Melania with the Young Pope hat,” joked another.

“Is Melania Trump’s white hat a symbol of morality like Olivia Pope’s?” a third person wondered.

There may have been more thought behind the white hat than many people on Twitter realized, however. White is a favorite color of the first lady, who wears it often. It’s also a symbol of women’s suffrage. According to a report by CNN, this particular hat was designed by Hervé Pierre, who has worked as Melania’s personal stylist before.

Pierre designed Melania’s inaugural gown. While the rest of her crisp white ensemble came fromm the Michael Kors collection for $2,195, the hat really caught the world’s attention. The first lady’s outfit made her stand out on a dreary day in Washington.

Another viral moment from the morning showed President Trump trying unsuccessfully to hold his wife’s hand on camera. He did his best to be subtle, but each time Melania slipped out of his grasp, he tried to needle his way back in.

Many viewers read into the brief onscreen moment, speculating that the first lady might be bitter about all of the coverage about President Trump’s alleged infidelity. The headlines have been full of developing stories about the president’s reported affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, which led to a raid on his personal lawyer’s office and is now in court.

Since these and other stories became prominent, many people have been making note of the president and first lady’s appearances, both together and separately, and tracking their behavior. Melania travelled to Houston, Texas alone over the weekend to attend the funeral of Barbara Bush.

President Trump, however, stayed behind at his Mar-a-Lago golf resort. He claimed that he wanted to “avoid disruptions” for the grieving family.

“First Lady Melania Trump will attend the memorial service for Barbara Bush this Saturday on behalf of the First Family. To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend,” the White House said in a statement, according to CNN.