SEEING GREEN: To wrap up the final night of the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump on Thursday delivered his lengthy acceptance speech from outside the White House. Having a sitting president give a campaign speech live from federally-owned property with 1,000 mostly non-mask wearing attendees was a discussion before and after the RNC.
The 70-minute address featured attacks against his Democratic rival Joe Biden, talk of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year, criticism of the lawlessness and looting happening in cities like Portland, Ore., calls for more domestic manufacturing, support for members of the military, pro-life mandates and more. Trump said, “This is the most important election in the history of our country.”
Given the many weighty matters the world is facing and the hour-plus speech, some TV and online viewers understandably may have cast their eyes elsewhere. First Lady Melania Trump was one point of attraction due to her neon green, sleeveless Valentino dress. Instead of going with the more expected red, white or blue, FLOTUS made a major fashion statement. Pierpaolo Piccioli’s flowing design featured two back panels. Valentino has been a favorite designer label that Trump has worn for important occasions, like a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in December in honor of NATO’s 70th anniversary.
After taking the podium, President Trump was quick to salute the First Lady. FLOTUS’ parents Amalia and Viktor Knavs were seated in the row behind her, and they rose on cue with the rest of the crowd in applause. Like many of the hundreds of male GOP supporters listening to Trump from the White House lawn, the First Lady’s father wore a blue tie. Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and First Son Barron Trump were also in that camp. Even Trump opted for a blue and red striped tie with his navy suit, as opposed to the standard Republican red tie. Second Lady Karen Pence wore a blue jacquard long-sleeved dress.
The First Lady’s pleated neon green designer dress with a shocking pink sliver of a belt could not be missed in the sea of navy suits. Her stylist Herve Pierre is known to help set the stage for major photo-ops, as evidenced Thursday night. Her bright green frock was without a doubt in an unexpected shade, and that seems to be part of a larger trend. Democratic candidate Joe Biden‘s wife Jill turned up at the final night of the Democratic National Convention last week wearing a lilac-colored short-sleeved dress.
With the White House, a row of American flags and star spangled staging serving as a backdrop, sporting party-appropriate colors did not seem to be a priority for some of the other attendees either. Kellyanne Conway was easy to spot in a mostly business-casual, fuchsia one-shoulder dress. Having recently announced plans to end a three-year run as counselor to the President, Conway hinted at that emancipation in an off-the-shoulder white jumpsuit the night before at the RNC. Thursday night First Daughters Ivanka and Tiffany Trump both sported off-the-shoulder necklines, albeit in all-black.
While protesters outside the White House reportedly chanted, “Vote him out” on Thursday night, some RNC attendees shouted “Four more years” periodically during Trump’s speech. The President spoke of building up manufacturing. He said, “Joe Biden’s agenda is ‘Made in China.’ My agenda is ‘Made in the USA.‘“
Trump added later, “Over the next four years, we will make America into the manufacturing superpower of the world. We will expand opportunity zones. Bring home our medical supply chains…and we will go right after Chins. We will not rely on them one bit. We’re taking our business out of China. We are bringing it home. We want our business to come home.”
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