If you’ve braved the internet over the last 48 hours, it’s highly likely your thumb has landed on a “Free Melania” article, GIF, or meme.
“She’s trapped!” thousands of people claim. “She doesn’t seem happy at all!” and, in the case of Clementine Ford, “Melania Trump is married to a man who abuses women. That probably includes her.”
Enough. It’s time to stop constructing dangerous stories around seven-second gifs. To say that Michelle Obama didn’t like receiving a gift from the new First Lady is one thing – to insinuate that the First Lady is in a domestically violent relationship is another thing entirely.
It doesn’t make Trump’s opponents look funny, or witty – instead, it makes the left look petty and distracted.
Melania Trump had cameras following her every move at the inauguration. Every second, thousands of shutters fluttered, documenting another moment, another slightly-altered facial expression. If the 46-year-old flinched at the frosty wind, it was captured. If she relaxed her face for just a second, it was turned into a viral GIF. If she was three steps behind her husband, it was erected on major websites. And while the vast majority of the photos from Friday’s ceremony show Melania smiling lovingly at Donald Trump, those have not been shared by the left, because they depict a storyline we just don’t want to accept.
Maybe, just maybe, Melania Trump is a happily married, powerful, in control woman.
Our insistence that she’s not is just the latest instalment of the ‘let’s hate on Melania’ show. One that strips a woman of her agency and identity. One that pretends Melania is a “gold digger” who had no desire to become First Lady. One that treats her like a helpless, ignorant puppet in Donald Trump’s parade.
Top Comments
The poor woman has gone from being a billionaire's wife and she is now the First Lady! That's a pretty major adjustment. And on the day of the inauguration they were probably both so nervous, hence the photo above of them standing rigid next to Barak and Michelle looking playful - of course they would be, he is finishing the most stressful job and Donald is starting it!
When Obama was first elected, the Republican matriarchs were scathing of Michelle. They said that her choice of sleeveless dresses was proof that she had no class, no idea of how to behave and would be a disgrace as First Lady. At least we just feel sorry for Melania: with her background it could be much uglier.