Politics - News Analysis

Trump Insider: Melania Truly Believes She’s the ‘Most Bullied Person in the World’

Melania Trump says she is “the most bullied person in the world.”

And according to someone who knows Melania well, she really believes this.

The First Lady told ABC News in 2018 that personal attacks on her inspired her to launch the “Be Best” anti-bullying initiative.

“I could say that I’m the most bullied person in the world,” she said in an interview recorded during her tour of Africa. “One of them – if you really see what people are saying about me.”

“That’s why ‘Be Best’ is focusing on online behavior and social media,” she added. “We need to educate the children [about] social, emotional behavior.”

The First Lady has made cyberbullying a key part of her public platform, having pledged to fight it while campaigning for her husband in 2016.

But many have questioned the choice of subject, given her husband’s well-known habit of insulting his critics on Twitter.

In the ABC interview, Melania also dismissed the idea that she had “the most control” over the president but said she often gave him “her honest advice” about which members of the administration he should trust.

“It’s harder to govern,” she said. “You always need to watch your back.”

According to CNN’s Kate Bennett, who covers the First Lady exclusively, Melania truly believes she is the most bullied person in the world.

Bennett was interviewed by The Washingtonian about her new book, “Free, Melania” and was asked about Melania claiming she is the most bullied person in the world.

Bennett responded, “I think she really believes it.”

She then followed up and said, “Well, you have to also remember she’s a Trump. She lives in that bubble—like, “We’re constantly under attack.” Sometimes she remarkably does the wrong thing. But I’ve gone with her to see detained [migrant] kids, and she really does get down on her hands and knees and gets dirty and holds kids and plays with them.”

When asked whether Melania was a hostage at the White House, Bennett said, “No. This is another thing that surprises people: She really digs living in the White House. I don’t think she would have chosen to be First Lady, but now that she’s there . . . . I’ve never thought she was trapped.

People find this hard to believe, but she’s very warm and very friendly. The things about Melania that people assume—that she’s cold and rigid and haughty, she doesn’t let us tell any other story. I think for years she’s watched Donald Trump and just does the opposite. Like with Ivanka: She watched Ivanka trot out her kids, Instagram about them, do this whole, like, Camelot 2.0. And it was like—bloop!—“I’m not doing any of that.”

meet the author

Nicole Hickman James is a lifelong Democrat and political activist who first cut her teeth as a teenager volunteering for Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign. She has worked and volunteered for John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, HFA (Hillary For America), and Organizing For Action. She’s passionate about liberal and progressive causes and considers President Obama her favorite president ever. She holds her Bachelor’s from Boston College in Economics and her Master's from Columbia, also in Economics. When not working as a writer, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three college-aged children.

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