Donald Trump, once a familiar face at the Met Gala, and even known for proposing to Melania en route to the 2004 event, was nowhere to be seen this year. In fact, he hasn’t been invited in years. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has helmed the Gala since 1997, made her stance clear back in 2017: “He will never be invited again.”
Trump was a frequent guest in the ’80s and ’90s, often attending with his former wives, Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. But after his presidency began, Wintour reportedly felt he no longer represented the values the event aimed to celebrate. She has emphasized that the Met Gala is about “beauty, creativity, and reflecting history”, not politics, though political undertones often shape the guest list.
Trump isn’t the only big name left off the invite. Notable absences this year included his high-profile allies like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” spotlighted Black designers and fashion’s power to challenge cultural stereotypes, what one critic called “a clear statement about who and what the Gala now stands for.”
