The Worst-Dressed Attendees At The 2026 State Of The Union Address

On February 24, Donald Trump held his State of the Union address. After nearly two long hours, the state (or future) of America was still somewhat unclear, but at least the State of the Union's fashion was elucidated. As anyone might have guessed, there were lots of plain suits and plenty of red and blue ties. Yes, despite arriving right in the midst of awards season, this event was far stranger, bleaker, and less full of fun fashion than any red carpet. Even so, thanks to some of the most famous folks in MAGA land, there were still some outfits that had us raising an eyebrow and staying firmly seated during all those prolonged standing ovations.

When it comes to an event like this one, the dress code is pretty clear and not particularly open. Even John Fetterman wore a suit. Nonetheless, folks managed to stay within the evening's fashion limitations while also wearing something that made us cringe. There were MAGA hats and American flag accessories in abundance throughout the crowd. There were strange tie lengths, bizarre belts, and a shocking array of different ways to make a suit look bad. Let's just say, the state of style at the State of the Union left fashion fans in a state of despair.

Melania Trump's 2026 State of the Union 'fit proved she's back to her old ways. She's apparently returned to being somewhat indifferent about what she wears (to paraphrase one of her jackets, she doesn't care, do you?). A plain black pantsuit with a white button-down shirt and a black belt is basically as boring as an outfit could get while still being appropriate for the occasion. We'll admit — boring is better than the many seriously bad outfits Melania wore in 2025. Still, a bit less "blah" would be more than welcome next time. 

For a reason we'll never fully understand, Attorney General Pam Bond seems to love bad flared pants almost as much as she loves dodging questions and protecting alleged criminals. Once again, she donned flared pants as part of a boring beige suit. Yet, the pants were far from the biggest fashion offense here. That honor goes to the strange double belt she put on over her jacket, and honorable mention goes to the ugly color of shirt she layered underneath, not to mention her too-long necklace. All she was missing was a lightsaber.

First daughter Ivanka Trump may not have joined her father's second administration after her exit from the political world, but she did show up to the State of the Union address alongside her family. However, let's just say she didn't do it in style. Ivanka wore a skirt suit with a baffling black and white print all over it. This print was reminiscent of being back in school — when you tried to erase with a really bad eraser. That, or static on a very old television. Maybe Ivanka picked this 'fit for the nostalgia. 

Ahead of the State of the Union, Lara Trump shared some Instagram stories in which she spoke of her anticipation for the big night at a pre-address dinner with the fam. In these stories, Lara sported a dress with a color that was almost as unappealing as the silhouette. The bubblegum pink hue was bad, but somehow the formfitting skirt with the puffy top was even worse. It's no surprise that she changed before the big event; she definitely would have stolen the spotlight in this flop of a 'fit.

Tiffany Trump sat with her family while watching Donald Trump's address. In all fairness, Tiffany's head-to-toe beige look wasn't the worst of the worst. It was, however, the beigest of the beige. Not only was this ensemble almost as boring as her stepmother's soulless suit, but it also looked ill-fitting. The buttons on her jacket were puckering in basically every photo of her. With a suit like this, tailoring is particularly important, and between the puckering jacket and the "blah" color, it's unclear what she saw in this suit.

JD Vance often seems to be taking bad fashion advice from Donald Trump, as he has also been known to sport the ridiculously overlong tie the controversial president has become known for. It seems, however, that Barron Trump isn't quite as desperate as the VP is to do everything just like Donald. We'd advise everyone to avoid Donald's long tie look like the plague. Interestingly, though, Barron has managed to go way too far in the other direction. His tie was comically short, especially considering Barron's towering height. It was a fashion fail for the whole family.