Donald Trump's inauguration feels like it happened decades ago. It’s a time that many of us don’t love to think about, but now Michelle Obama is providing us with some invaluable details that solve one of the biggest mysteries of that day. No, not how Donald Trump became president after losing the popular vote. The other one: What was in that box Melania Trump gave to Michelle?
In her first televised interview since leaving the White House, the former FLOTUS is finally breaking down that awkward exchange and revealing was in that giant Tiffany’s box. “It was a lovely frame,” she shares unceremoniously on the Ellen DeGeneres Show (I was hoping it was this $250 sterling silver crazy straw).
Apparently the present wasn’t part of the event's protocol, and came to Michelle as a bit of a surprise. “Well, there’s all this protocol. I mean, this is like a state visit, so they tell you that you’re going to do this, they’re going to stand here. Never before do you get this gift, so I’m sort of like, okay,” she explained to Ellen.
As Harper’s Bazaar points out, when Donald Trump and Melania arrived at the inauguration, the president-elect quickly rushed to meet Michelle and Barack while a very blue Melania trailed behind with her mysterious box. What followed was an awkward moment that quickly evolved into a series of memes and gifs.
In them, Michelle is seen frantically looking for somewhere to put her new present before the two couples take a photo. “What am I supposed to do with this gift?" Obama recalls thinking. "And everyone cleared out and no one would come and take the box. And I’m thinking do we take the picture with [it]?"
Luckily Barack was there to step up and save the day. “He grabbed the box and took it back inside. But everybody cleared out," continued Obama. "No staff, no one. I was like what do you do with the box?”
At least we have one Trump-related mystery solved. Many, many more to go.
