Donald Trump, once a Met Gala regular, is now permanently banned from the event. As Anna Wintour said in 2017, “He will never be invited again,” and that has remained true throughout both of Trump’s presidencies.

Back in the ’80s and ’90s, Trump was a red carpet fixture with Ivana Trump and later Marla Maples. He even proposed to Melania on the way to the 2004 Met Gala. But the event has changed. Wintour’s guest list now reflects “broader cultural values,” and Trump’s presence no longer fits.

He wasn’t alone in being left out in 2025. Other major figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg were also missing from the guest list.

This year’s theme, *Superfine: Tailoring Black Style*, celebrated Black designers and culture. According to critic Louis Piscano, the gala is “sending a message.”

For Trump, once part of fashion’s elite, that message is simple: he’s out.