Donald Trump Tweeted About Melania Being First Lady, & It’s So Predictable
Who among us hasn't had at least one job they really didn't want? Granted, these jobs are usually along the lines of generic retail or maybe, I don't know, a boring desk job straight out of college. And if you believe a recent Vanity Fair story, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump counts herself among the discontents. But President Donald Trump's tweet about Melania's role as FLOTUS paints a happier picture of her. In fact, he wrote, she pushed him to run for president and told everyone that he would win. Because, of course, everything is about him.
On Nov. 28, President Trump tweeted, almost out of nowhere, that his wife loves her role and actively pushed him to run for president. The tweet reads, "Melania, our great and very hard working First Lady, who truly loves what she is doing, always thought that 'if you run, you will win.' She would tell everyone that, 'no doubt, he will win.' I also felt I would win (or I would not have run) — and Country is doing great!"
The tweet was likely in response to a Vanity Fair article published on Nov. 26 that alleges that Melania Trump is miserable as first lady. After months of rumors, carefully selected photos and videos of the first lady frowning at her husband, and, frankly, a schedule not nearly as busy or even public as past first ladies such as Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton, the piece paints a depressing portrait of a woman trapped in the White House. And, in fact, according to an unnamed "longtime friend of the Trumps," Melania not only didn't want her current life "come hell or high water," but she didn't even "think ... it was going to happen." Melania Trump declined to be interviewed for the article.
Which might be why the president tweeted earlier today, Nov. 28, not only a defense of the FLOTUS herself, but also made sure we all know that she was all-in when he decided to run.
The defense starts out reasonable enough: she loves her role in the White House. But the 52-word tweet quickly turns from the FLOTUS to President Trump. First, how FLOTUS supported his run, and then, eventually it transitions into a wholly Trump-centric sentiment: I felt I would win, too, and I did, and look how great I've made things.
This isn't the first time President Trump has made things about him. He consistently makes public statements and writes tweets that make public experiences, or experiences others have had, about himself. Most recently, during a ceremony meant to honor World War II Navajo Code Talkers, the president simultaneously brought up his personal beef with Senator Elizabeth Warren and referred to her as "Pocahontas" — a slur and a nickname he has called her since at least the presidential primaries. President Trump has also recently started a feud with the father of a UCLA basketball player for not personally thanking him for helping the boy out of a legal jam abroad.
And it's not all — During the Boy Scout Jamboree in July of this year the president made the Boy Scouts chant for him, repeating "U-S-A" and booing former President Barack Obama. There was also the time that he tweeted about the solar eclipse — and managed to make it about himself.
And, for what it's worth, President Trump's tweet came a day after Melania's communications director Stephanie Grisham released a statement to Fox News on Monday, Nov. 27 pushing back on the idea that Melania doesn't like being FLOTUS.
Grisham stated on behalf of Melania,
Once again part of the liberal media, this time Vanity Fair, has written a story riddled with unnamed sources and false assertions. As a magazine tailored to women it is shameful that they continue to write salacious and false stories meant to demean Mrs. Trump, rather than focus on her positive work as First Lady and as a supportive wife and mother. [...] As has been stated on the record many times before, she is honored by her role.
From the start, rumors have swirled that Melania did not want to be first lady, thanks to myriad photos, videos, and anonymously sourced articles claiming FLOTUS's misery.
The presidential inauguration didn't help matters. When video of President Trump leaving Melania behind to greet the Obamas surfaced, people tweeted, "Run Melania!" There were also plenty of photos of "Sad Melania" at the inauguration, leading to the hashtag #FreeMelania.
And there was even the fact that she stayed in New York until June, reportedly so son Barron could finish out the school year at the same school. Many, however, saw this as evidence of a reluctance to take on the first lady role. Don't forget the fact that her office in the East Wing is minimally staffed compared to previous FLOTUSes and that she rarely makes speeches.
Of course, there are also photos and videos of Melania seeming to enjoy her role. An in-depth GQ profile says that Trump is and always has been incredibly shy, which may explain her reluctance to speak publicly. There are plenty of photos of her clearly enjoying her duties as first lady— including when she met a terrifying dinosaur at the White House Halloween celebration.
So, what's the truth? Perhaps Melania truly is trapped in her life as a head of state's wife. Or maybe she's just shy. Either way, despite her White House role she can be sure that she won't end up in the spotlight too much. Her husband seems more than happy to take that hit for her.
