Lara Trump ignited fresh online backlash after joking on The Ingraham Angle that invitations to the 2026 Met Gala for the Trump family "got lost in the mail," reviving scrutiny over the long-running absence of Donald Trump and his relatives from fashion's most exclusive annual event.
The remarks came during a Fox News appearance on 5 May, just one day after celebrities, tech executives and political elites gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for this year's gala hosted by Anna Wintour. Asked by host Laura Ingraham why the Trump family had not attended, Lara Trump answered with sarcasm that quickly spread across social media.
"Yeah, he can barely function, I'm sure this is very devastating to the president," she said after Ingraham joked that Trump had likely been upset over not attending. Lara Trump then added: "I'm sure we all got invited; they just got lost in the mail. That must be what happened."
The comment immediately fueled criticism online, with users pointing out the contradiction between mocking the event while simultaneously joking about not receiving an invitation. Earlier in the segment, Lara Trump had insisted the family was unconcerned about the gala, saying: "I don't think that the president has lost any sleep over it. I can promise you that nobody in our family is very concerned."
She nevertheless acknowledged watching coverage of the red carpet and singled out Nicole Kidman as one of her favorite looks from the night.
Lara Trump also used the interview to criticize the gala more broadly, describing it as "a freak show" that had drifted far from what she called its once "very elegant and kind of regal" image. She accused attendees of acting morally superior, saying they wanted to "preach to us" while presenting themselves as cultural arbiters.
The exchange revived longstanding discussion about the Trump family's relationship with the Met Gala and with Wintour, who publicly declared in 2017 that Donald Trump would never again be invited to the event. During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Wintour was asked which guest she would never invite back to the gala. Her answer was blunt: "Donald Trump."
Trump had previously attended the gala multiple times between the 1980s and 2012. He famously proposed to Melania Trump at the 2004 event. Ivanka Trump was also a regular attendee before her last appearance in 2016.
A spokesperson for Condé Nast, Vogue's parent company, has historically declined to comment on guest-list decisions. "We never discuss guest list or speculation around it on record," the company previously told Snopes.
This year's gala unfolded amid broader criticism directed at the event itself, much of it unrelated to the Trump family. According to Fortune, honorary co-chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos reportedly paid about $10 million tied to sponsorship arrangements, helping the gala raise a record $42 million for the Costume Institute.
The event also drew protests from labor organizers and activists. According to Democracy Now, unions including the Service Employees International Union and the Amazon Labor Union staged an alternative event called the "Ball Without Billionaires" in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, criticizing the growing concentration of wealth and corporate influence surrounding the gala.
Several celebrities reportedly skipped the event entirely. Media reports cited absences from stars including Meryl Streep, Zendaya and Bella Hadid, while actress Taraji P. Henson publicly questioned participation in the gala, writing online: "I am so confused by some [people] that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING?"
