On a day which variously included Donald Trump promising to rename the Gulf of Mexico, virtually all of the January 6 rioters being released, and Elon Musk doing a gesture so reminiscent of the Third Reich that it was actually blurred on Australian and German television, it was a far more pedestrian moment that ended up stealing the show at the presidential inauguration on Monday. A hat. Specifically, Melania Trump’s wide-brimmed, face-shielding, Hamburglar-style hat, which seemed to prevent her husband from kissing her.
Looking characteristically glum, the outré garb was part of the wider funereal vibe of the all-black outfit Melania picked for the most important day of her husband’s life. And yes, when the President leaned in, in front of millions of people on the world stage, they had to settle for a toe-curling air kiss.
