For the last six months, at a minimum, week after week, we’ve reported on the fact that when it comes to shameless self-promotion, self-absorption, self-righteousness, and cunning, Melania was every bit Trump’s equal and in some aspects kicked his ass. Melania cares about Melania, she doesn’t care about him, she doesn’t care about you, she doesn’t care about this country, and she damn sure didn’t care about the riots.
Until they impacted her.
On late Friday, CNN reported that Melania was hosting a photoshoot during the riots and wouldn’t stop even as the events transpired. Sunday morning, the Daily Mail and this site reported that White House staff came to Melania during the photoshoot, begging her to talk to Trump and convince him to go on television and call his hordes off. She said no, and returned to polishing a vase.
Well, that report went everywhere, banging around the net and angering people that much more. It went around so much that it … began to have an impact on Melania. Once it affected Melania, only then did Mel address the events of last week and it was primarily to tell us how unfair it is to talk about her and her actions. From TPM [1]:
First Lady Melania Trump complained about what she claimed to be “false misleading accusations” against her on Monday morning in her first statement on the violent assault President Donald Trump’s supporters inflicted upon the Capitol last Wednesday.
“I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week. I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda,” she said in a statement [2] released by the White House. “This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.”
Our friend Josh Marshall has the entire statement, (More below):
there's so much fetid and awful in this statement from the First Lady https://t.co/kFkQhmDLz8 [3] pic.twitter.com/ZtdruKva4O [4]
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 11, 2021 [5]
She is “disappointed and disheartened” about the riots. Didn’t exactly knock herself out expressing her shock or horror.
But that’s because she saved her energy to express her anger about how this was all so unfair to her because of people with an agenda. Yes, all of us in the media must have an “agenda” in expressing outrage that she did nothing. We have seen this too many times. Mel loves the perks that she believes to be rightfully hers, but then lashes out at any accountability, any criticism, any questions – even, regarding her actions and decisions. Anything that isn’t fawning praise is done by a media filled with terrible people who are getting rich off her. Or something.
This is Melania. This is her legacy. She had a fantastic opportunity and a fantastic cause. She could have juxtaposed herself against one of history’s monsters, in a position where it would be almost impossible to see her as anything but a victim, perhaps even a hero. But against the odds, Melania rose to the challenge, over and over, to prove that no, she was no one’s victim, and she’s certainly no hero, she is just a Trump, every bit as much as Ivanka.
Melania will leave the White House as the same Mel who entered, without a fraction of growth or insight gleaned, just like him, bitter right down to the last days. The perfect couple for a perfectly miserable rest of their lives.
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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak