Met Gala 2025: Why is Donald Trump ‘banned’ from the event?

The first Monday of May is almost here, which means – fashion’s biggest night is knocking at the door. The Met Gala this year is set to be held on May 5. This will mark the opening of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fashion exhibit, which is hosted on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, USA.
While the Met Gala is one of the most exclusive events of the year, and witnesses the turnout of the biggest and brightest stars on the famous steps – as it seems – one particular person is ‘banned’ from the prestigious and star-studded event.
And it is none other than the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump!



It goes without saying, the guest list of the Met Gala is one of the most striking aspects of the event itself. Not just actors, singers, fashionistas, and influencers, the Met Gala is the stage that brings together a variety of people – from creative trailblazers to cultural icons – who contribute to the landscape of glamour and style.
Naturally, the guest list of such an event has to be one of the highlights of the event itself.

Now, it is common knowledge that Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, takes it upon herself to curate the guest list, and each person invited to the Met Gala is handpicked by her. So far – she has ‘banned’ one name from the prestigious event. She revealed, as reported by The Independent, only one person whom she has outlawed – it’s President Donald Trump.

On a 2017 episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, when the host asked Anna Wintour, "Who would you never invite back to the Met Gala?" Wintour answered, "Donald Trump." As the audience cheered, James replied, "That is a great answer."
Previously, Trump and Melania were regulars at the event, considering the president even proposed to the First Lady at the event.

In fact, the President’s ‘favourite’ daughter, Ivanka Trump, too, was a regular at the Met Gala events. However, Ivanka has not made an appearance on the red carpet since 2016, which is one year prior to Wintour’s revelation about not inviting Trump back.
Although Ivanka’s disappearance from the event was never officially confirmed, it is speculated that the entire Trump family has been thrown off the guest list.
'Riverdale' star Lili Reinhart, who used to be a regular fixture at the Met Gala until 2022, also became a controversial figure after publicly criticising Kim Kardashian’s extreme dieting to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s gown. In an interview with W magazine, she said, “I don’t think I’ll be invited back, I said a certain something about a certain person in a certain dress.”
Tim Gunn, reportedly revealed to E! Entertainment in an interview that he had been blacklisted from attending the Met Gala, saying, “I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion and I said, ‘It’s easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards—two big hulking men—from a fashion show.’ All hell broke loose. It was insane. We’ve had an open war ever since."

Like every year, this year as well, the Met Gala has a striking theme, and the attendees of the event are to dress up and show up accordingly. This year’s theme for the Gala is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

This theme aims to highlight the concept of Black dandyism, drawing inspiration from the work of Monica Miller, a professor and chair of Africana Studies at Barnard College, and her book ‘Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity’.
The theme delves into how clothing and style have been used to express identity and build resilience within Black communities, particularly focusing on the impact of the Atlantic slave trade and how Black individuals reclaimed power through fashion.
The exhibition will be curated by Miller along with Andrew Bolton from the Met Costume Institute, exploring the significant role of clothing and style in shaping Black identities within the Atlantic diaspora.