By now, you’ll have heard about Melania Trump’s jacket. During a trip to Texas to visit a migrant child detention centre on Thursday (21 June), the first lady of the United States wore a khaki Zara jacket with the words “I really don’t care do u?” emblazoned across the back in graffiti-style letters.

There is much to be said about the conflicting explanations for and theories about this jacket. But first, let’s take it on face value, and acknowledge that – given the context – it seems like the cruellest of trolls. The first lady was visiting a place where Central American children who have been separated from their parents are being held. Her visit came after weeks of mounting outrage over the policy – enforced by her husband’s administration – of prosecuting all adults caught illegally crossing the US-Mexican border, and detaining their children in the custody of the Health and Human Services Department.

The first lady’s jacket caused such a stir because its snarky, hard-hearted, unconcerned message perfectly mirrored the attitude that the Trump administration and many of its supporters have taken towards the crisis at the border. Until Wednesday (20 June), when President Trump signed an executive order ending the practice of separating migrant families (a practice instigated by his own attorney general), many of his officials and hangers-on responded to criticism of the policy with frightening indifference or aggressive mockery.

“Troll, then gaslight: what Melania’s jacket tells us about the tactics of Trumpism”