Melania and Ivanka Trump just caused some controversy in Saudi Arabia

And not for the reasons you'd expect

Melania and Ivanka Trump Saudi Arabia

And not for the reasons you'd expect

Donald Trump spoke at the Arabic Islamic Summit on Sunday, addressing Middle Eastern leaders at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Riyadh.

‘Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity – in this region, and in the world’, Trump announced to the audience. ‘Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.’

He continued: ‘This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.’

Donald Trump And Coke

(Image credit: REX/Shutterstock)

But it wasn’t Trump’s speechwriter’s skills that got everyone talking. Instead, people were much more concerned with Melania and Ivanka Trump’s controversial fashion statement.

Both the First Lady and the First Daughter-turned-Assistant to the President opted against wearing headscarves during their visit to Saudi Arabia.

While their choice isn’t breaking the law and is perfectly justified, with female Western figures from Hillary Clinton to Angela Merkel opting to go without on their visits, people are calling this particular case hypocritical due to Trump’s previous outspoken opinion on the subject.

Back in 2015, Donald Trump took to his Twitter account to criticise the fact that Michelle Obama chose not to wear a headscarf while visiting the Middle East with her husband.

‘Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted’, he tweeted about her decision. ‘We have enuf enemies.’

Aside from the huge spelling error, people are also taking issue with this for being yet another stance that Donald Trump has gone back on.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.