People are furious that Melania Trump wore a jacket saying 'I really don't care, do u?' to visit migrant children. Here's why it's a brilliant political move.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

First lady Melania Trump boards the plane as she departs Joint Base Andrews on her way to Texas on June 21.

• Melania Trump sparked backlash by wearing a $39 jacket that says "I really don't care, do u?" on the way to her surprise visit to Texas to visit immigrant children. 
• The jacket is another episode in the ongoing backlash to the first lady's fashion choices. 
• Trump's jacket allows her to take control of the narrative, with President Donald Trump's base doubling down on their defense of the first lady and giving the right new ammunition to slam the media.

First lady Melania Trump sparked backlash on Wednesday by wearing a Zara jacket that says "I really don't care, do u?" on the way to her surprise visit to Texas to visit immigrant children. 

The $39 jacket, made by Zara, is a distinct departure for the first lady, who tends to favor more expensive high-fashion looks. However, the incident is very much in line with past incidents in which Trump's fashion has come under fire. 

"It's a jacket," her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement to Business Insider. "There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn't going to choose to focus on her wardrobe. (Much like her high heels last year)."

AP Images

Trump in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, after hurricanes hit those locations.

Grisham is referencing the backlash that exploded when the first lady was mocked for wearing sky-high stilettos as she headed to Texas after Hurricane Harvey in August. In October, Trump sported stilettos once again when boarding a plane heading to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Maria had recently hit.

In both cases, she changed into new outfits upon arrival: stylish, form-fitting jeans and a baseball cap. And, on Wednesday, she did the same, ditching the army green Zara jacket for a neutral buttoned-down look when she arrived at the Upbring New Hope Children's Center in McAllen, Texas.

The response to Trump's "I really don't care, do u?" jacket was swift. 

While there may not be a "hidden message" in her jacket, Trump knew that wearing the outfit would prompt a reaction. The first lady most likely has a full understanding of the spotlight she is under, with coverage of her disappearance from the public eye earlier this year and of her fashion choices. 

All these incidents have been used as fodder for the right as "evidence" that the media is biased against Trump. When Trump was mocked for her stilettos online, right-leaning sites cited the backlash as proof that the "liberal elite" and media are out of touch. 

"I like to dream that Melania chooses her ensembles just to piss off liberals," reads one representative tweet following the stiletto backlash. 

Trump makes fashion choices deliberately and strategically. She is aware of the message she is sending, which is typically one of aspirational luxury.

Left-leaning criticism isn't necessarily a concern for the first lady. Instead, Trump's mission has been to demonstrate - through her fashion or her disappearance from the public eye - that she refuses to do what is expected of her. Then, when people criticize her fashion choices, the first lady is able to respond through a spokesperson by slamming the media. 

Fashion is political for the first lady. While she may not troll the media in the same way as her husband does, she knows how to dress to get a reaction.