--- title: Michelle Obama Reveals Gift From Melania Trump description: Michelle Obama finally reveals what was in the Tiffany gift box from Melania Trump at the inauguration on Ellen. canonical: https://time.com/5126863/michelle-obama-gift-from-melania/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-31T15:54:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T22:26:50.000Z og:title: Michelle Obama Explains the Tiffany Box From Melania Trump og:description: It's the answer everyone wanted to know og:url: https://time.com/5126863/michelle-obama-gift-from-melania/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf64ea2dfb98148ca/6988fa13096a94cc096a14d9/michelle-obama-melania-trump-inauguration-tiffany-box-gift.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-OBAMA-TRUMP-INAUGURATION og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Michelle Obama Explains the Tiffany Box From Melania Trump twitter:description: It's the answer everyone wanted to know twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf64ea2dfb98148ca/6988fa13096a94cc096a14d9/michelle-obama-melania-trump-inauguration-tiffany-box-gift.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Is What Was in That Tiffany Gift Box Melania Trump Gave to Michelle Obama > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=507517a8-cc2e-4a07-995f-df6a8c82fac8&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Barack and Michelle Obama Welcome The Trumps [Watch (HLS stream): Barack and Michelle Obama Welcome The Trumps](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dZ2rP8du.m3u8) (1:33)  _Published 2017-01-20. The nation’s capital on Friday awoke to the traditions that coincide with every presidential inauguration, taking the final steps toward a peaceful transition of power, hours before Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States._  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:26 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2018 3:54 PM UTC The former first lady opens up about the gift exchange to host Ellen DeGeneres and finally reveals what was inside the Tiffany & Co. box  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:26 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2018 3:54 PM UTC Of the many buzzworthy moments of [Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration](http://time.com/president-donald-trump-inauguration-day-photos/) last year, one of the highlights was incoming First Lady [Melania Trump](http://time.com/4972038/melania-trump-fashion-photo-gallery/) giving [Michelle Obama](http://time.com/4632217/michelle-obama-influential-fashion/) a large gift box from [Tiffany & Co.](http://time.com/4961278/breakfast-at-tiffanys-script/), a gesture that inspired [memes galore](http://time.com/4756946/best-memes-2017-so-far/) about what exactly the robin blue gift box might contain. Now, however, the suspense is over, because Michelle Obama is personally divulging what was in the Tiffany box from Melania Trump. During an appearance on _The Ellen Degeneres Show_, Obama not only shared that she received a “lovely frame” from Melania and that while the exchange might have appeared a little awkward, it was just because of security protocol. > [](https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/958741581909184512) > [](https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/958444366179155968) Mystery solved! Watch the [full clip at People](http://people.com/politics/michelle-obama-finally-opens-up-about-that-awkward-inauguration-gift-exchange-with-melania-trump/). ## Transcript [00:00] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Mr. President- Elect. How [00:05] are you? Good to [00:10] see you. Congratulations. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:15] So nice to see [00:20] you. How are you? [00:25] I'm doing very well. [00:30] Thank you. 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