The Worst-Dressed MAGA Groupies At The 2026 Governors Dinner

The 2026 Governors Dinner has come and gone, and there certainly were some impressive lewks from the evening (Sarah Huckabee Sanders in an asymmetrical silver number!). However, if we were to sum up the dress code in three words, they'd have to be hot mess express. After all, despite it seemingly being a black tie affair, many of those in attendance apparently missed the memo and treated it as a free-for-all. We'll start with FLOTUS herself, Melania Trump, who showed up in a black blouse and sparkly silver pants. To be clear, it was a chic ensemble. However, it was also notably not black tie, and for that reason, we're putting her on our worst-dressed list. 

While we're certainly not of the mind that the first lady had to wear a gown, she has worn tuxedos (aka the suiting requirement for black tie events) in the past, and looked terrific doing so. With that said, the former model choosing to don the much more cocktail-appropriate look is curious, and kind of had us wondering if she was even planning on attending in the first place. If anything, it kind of gave the impression that Melania had worn a nice-but-unassuming 'fit solely to take pics with her husband before he went to the dinner (kind of like a proud mom on prom night). 

As an aside, the particular pants she picked were confusing as well considering her generally not-that-gaudy style, and even reminded us of the jarring dress that landed her on the worst-dressed list at Donald and Melania Trump's Mar-a-Lago NYE party. Considering how well-turned-out she generally is, we can't help but wonder if Melania is sabotaging her generally stellar style on purpose. Or maybe the first lady's outfit simply missed the mark on this occasion.

If much of what you noticed at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors revolved around the ubiquitous-ness of "Mar-a-Lago face," we're here to remind you that Pam Bondi walked the red carpet in a brown Tom Ford knit, button-down (and very much daytime) dress. Cute? Yes. Appropriate? Definitely not. However, that didn't stop her from donning it again for the 2026 Governors Dinner. File this under the many inappropriate outfits Bondi will never live down – and can someone please remind her that a dress being designer doesn't automatically make it black tie?

Those who follow the First Lady of Louisiana may have picked up that Sharon Landry re-wore her Mardi Gras dress for the 2026 Governors Dinner (yaaaaaas for sustainability). However, we were more focused on her husband's faux pas. Props for coordinating with his wife's dress, we guess, but in addition to wearing a bright yellow tie to a black tie event, Jeff Landry also donned a navy suit. Seriously, does Mar-a-Lago need to start hosting dress code classes? Sharon need not attend, of course, though as one of the few attendees to follow instructions, perhaps she could host. 

Credit where it's due, because unlike many of the other guests at the 2026 Governors Dinner, Jennifer Hegseth actually did show up in black tie attire. We can also kind of see the vision she was going for, with the drapey, almost ethereal silhouette. Unfortunately for Pete Hegseth's third wife, the top of the dress added a ton of bulk and really aged her (the brooch certainly didn't help). Yet another time the Hegseths looked a tad dated (or even dusty) while posing together.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took some time away from creating unironic Kens-taking-over-Barbie-land content with Kid Rock to attend the 2026 Governors Dinner with wife Cheryl Hines. He abided by the tuxedo-for-men rule and even spiced it up with some unexpected shirt details. Unfortunately, the Secretary of Health and Human Services' collar was so comically high that it gave us bizarre "Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" flashbacks. As for the front placket, that only added to the cartoonish vibe of the whole badly-fitting ensemble.

Pam Bondi has referred to Susie Wiles as her "best friend," so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that she also dressed considerably less formally than a lavish event like this typically calls for. We will grant Wiles some slack, though, simply because the fabric she chose was more black-tie appropriate than a knit dress. However, the fit did nothing for her figure, while the chunky necklaces (and bracelets, and watch, and ring!) overwhelmed an already busy look. 

We're not sure why Cecilia Abbott decided to cover what seemed to be a decent gold button-down dress with a monogrammed scarf, but maybe she was cold? Or perhaps Texas Governor Greg Abbott's wife spilled something on herself and used what she had for a quick coverup? Then again, the fact that the colors on the scarf coordinate with those on the dress have us thinking it was probably intentional. Either way, it really didn't work.