Zohran Mamdani & Rama Duwaji May Be Skipping Event That Melania Trump Is Desperate To Attend

The Met Gala was once an especially important occasion for Donald and Melania Trump. In 2004, Donald asked Melania to marry him at the star-studded event. So, the fact that the pair has since been banned from attending the Met Gala is likely painful for their relationship. And news that NYC's first lady is more than welcome at this year's big night is surely adding insult to injury for Melania.

Melania doesn't seem particularly eager to attend most events, yet she's a major fashion fan. So, if there was any special occasion she'd likely be eager to show up to, it's probably one of fashion's biggest nights of the year. Back in 2017, however, on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Vogue's global editorial director and former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour declared that Donald would never be invited back to the Met Gala. Yet, while one first lady's husband's public perception got him banned from the event, another one has had the opposite experience. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and wife Rama Duwaji got the coveted invitation to this year's Met Gala. And they've RSVP'd that they will not be attending. As someone who loves fashion almost as much as she loves RSVP-ing "no," it's safe to assume Melania is seething with jealousy over this. 

Many people think of the Met Gala as an out-of-touch gathering for wealthy celebrities. As such, it's a perfect fit for the Trumps' politics, and a not-so-great fit for Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji's. One source explained to Page Six that Mamdani's choice to opt out of the 2026 Met Gala was smart, saying, "[I]t would be foolish if he did [go] ... can you imagine? It goes against everything he believes in." Another source suggested the Met Gala is such an important New York occasion that the mayor of NYC should be there. "I think he should go. It's a very New York moment," they told the outlet.

Some people view the Met Gala as quintessential NYC, while others view it as something out of "The Hunger Games." Yet, plenty of people think the most important part of this night is the fashion, and Melania Trump isn't the only one who takes first lady fashion seriously. Duwaji is also a total fashionista. In fact, in January, she gave Melania a major style lesson with her inauguration outfit. While we definitely support Mamdani and Duwaji's decision to sit this Met Gala out, we would have loved to have seen what they might have worn for the occasion. We're fairly confident that Duwaji's look would be way less likely to include a weird, ugly hat fail than Melania's would be, too.