Melania Trump has made a rare appearance on the campaign trail claim her priority as First Lady would be to address widespread bullying on social media, forgetting that her husband is responsible for about 50% of it.
Addressing a rally of Trump supporters in Pennsylvania, she said:
“Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially to children and teenagers. It is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet.
“It is never OK when a 12-year-old girl or boy is mocked, bullied or attacked. It is terrible when it happens on the playground, and it is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet. We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.
“We must find better ways to honour and support the basic goodness of our children, especially in social media. It will be one of the main focuses of my work, if I am privileged enough to become your First Lady.”
It goes literally without saying that cyber bullying is bad. That’s not the point anyone’s arguing here. Nor was it a bad speech, and if (god forbid) Donald Trump does end up in the White House I hope that Melania does set her sights to battling a culture of online bullying and shaming.
It’s just that she’ll be most effective in tackling cyber bullying if she convinces her husband to own up to his own.
Trump’s habit of using his Twitter account to bully, harass, intimidate, mock and shame both men and women (though mostly women) who criticise him is well-documented. Like, it’s right out there in the effing open.
Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
.@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man- he made a good decision.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2012
While @BetteMidler is an extremely unattractive woman, I refuse to say that because I always insist on being politically correct.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2012
Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
“@Don_Vito_08: “A picture is worth a thousand words” @realDonaldTrump #LyingTed #NeverCruz @MELANIATRUMP pic.twitter.com/5bvVEwMVF8“
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2016
And yet, curiously enough, there was no mention of Donald’s Twitter account in Melania’s speech.
The insane hypocrisy of her statement was not lost on anyone.
I can’t stop laughing Melania Trump wants to stop the bullying especially on social media Hello!
It’s 3 AM do you know where your husband is— DelightfulDiva (@Kalaax008) November 4, 2016
Melania Trump can cut cyber – bullying by 70% if she’ll just change her husband’s password.
— Brad Voss (@TheBradVoss) November 4, 2016
Melania Trump has pledged to take on cyber bullying as a top priority as First Lady. I suggest she begin with her husband.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 4, 2016
Melania Trump: “When I’m First Lady, I will eliminate cyber bullying, like when people make my husband seem like a monster by quoting him.”
— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) November 4, 2016
If Melania Trump really wants to tackle cyber bullying she should start off by deleting her husbands twitter account
— Tugbeck (@tugbeck) November 4, 2016
Has Melania Trump even met her husband?
— JAY VERSACE (@tharealversace) November 3, 2016
Melania Trump is going to reduce cyber bullying 70% on day one by changing her husbands Twitter password.
— Marc Ensign (@MarcEnsign) November 3, 2016
She’s not wrong that social media has gotten “too mean and too tough”. She’s just aiming in the wrong direction.
Photo: Getty / Leigh Vogel.
