Melania Trump published another self-indulgent post on her blog, www.whitehouse.gov, on Monday morning. “Our Path Forward” marks her first and only response to last week’s Capitol riot. In the post, after expressing her condolences for the four Trump supporters and two police officers killed during the incident — and before condemning the violence — the letter turns, abruptly, to self-defense. She writes:
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. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.
The “salacious gossip” she is likely referring to is the report, originally issued by CNN, that, while a mob of armed Trump supporters stormed the Capitol at her husband’s prompting, Melania was in the White House at a photoshoot for her upcoming coffee-table book.
Despite condemning the rumors, the letter does not deny that she was indeed photographing restored White House rugs at the time of the incident. And short of casting any responsibility on the president, Melania describes the mass insurrection of his supporters as a display of “passion and enthusiasm”:
It is inspiring to see that so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election, but we must not allow that passion to turn to violence. Our path forward is to come together, find our commonalities, and be the kind and strong people that I know we are.
It’s not surprising to hear Melania Trump take on a whiny, self-centered tone in response to a terrible event engendered by her husband. Look no further than the recordings leaked by her former adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. In one, Melania is asked about her husband’s cruel family-seperation policy and responds with an irritable: “Give me a fucking break.”
Melania is “checked out,” one White House source told CNN. “She just isn’t in a place mentally or emotionally anymore where she wants to get involved,” they added, a comment that begs the question: at what point was she ever?
