Melania Trump cares for humanity, at a conference where many speakers mainly deal blows
Melania Trump is trying to show a soft side to the Trump campaign at the Republican party convention when she makes herself known for the first time in a long time.
The US First Lady is quite out of place when she speaks at the convention about coming together, reflecting and the power of diversity. Two evenings preceded her performance with speakers who portray the opposing party in the upcoming presidential elections as a radical club that wants to turn America into a vandal-ridden Venezuela.
"I don't want to use my precious time here to attack the other side - that just divides the country more, we saw last week," Melania Trump said of the Democrats' party congress.
Compassion
Melania Trump is the only party representative to offer her condolences to the relatives of 178,000 Americans who have died in recent months after being infected with the corona virus. "Kindness and compassion, strength and determination," are necessary, in her view. This contrasts with the exceedingly rosy predictions of her husband, for whom the pandemic has turned out to be a political battleground.
The same goes for anti-racism protests. Trump focuses on aggression from a small group of protesters, and dismisses opponent Joe Biden as a pull-along for radical activists. Melania, on the other hand, calls on Americans to "come together in a civilized way," and how "shocked" she was when she visited a former slave traders' fort in Ghana. The "harsh reality," she acknowledges, is that the US cannot be proud of parts of the past. "I encourage you to focus on the future, while still learning from the past," she says. "Instead of breaking things, let's reflect on our mistakes."
Controversial
She speaks from the White House Rose Garden, which she recently had redecorated. It is controversial, as the White House is a government building not intended by law for political campaigns. But Trump's campaign team has decided to just make it the main stage for the part virtual convention.
It's a special speech. Ex-model Melania Trump rarely speaks in public. But when she speaks up subtly, she often goes her own way. For example, she called on Americans on Twitter to wear face masks before her husband tacked and ceased his opposition to face covering. At the Republican convention, the wife of the King of the Twitter tirades turns to mothers to emphasize how "mean and manipulative" social media can be.
Convince female voters
Much is at stake now. Trump must convince women voters if he wants to emerge from the election race as president again. His wife could help improve his image with this group, especially after recordings leaked this week in which his own sister says he cannot be trusted. Many First Ladies are used to make their husbands human.
Melania Trump does not like to campaign, but makes an important contribution to the convention. She ensures humanity, at a conference where many speakers mainly deal blows in the cultural tribal struggle between conservative and progressive Americans. Four years ago, her performance at the Republican convention ended disastrous as it turned out she had borrowed entire sentences from speeches by her predecessor Michelle Obama. "Every word is hers," her Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham now assured.
