Melania Trump, the first lady who was not
The wife of the president of the United States has given few interviews, supported few initiatives and escaped from the public spotlight. She now she trades her memories
Melania Trump arrived at the White House accustomed to the spotlight. However, in her four years as the first lady of the United States she shunned the best she could of them. One of the great unknowns when Donald Trump rang the bell and took over the presidency was the role that his wife would play. In the twilight of the Republican's mandate, the doubt seems to have found no answer. Many will remember her as the first lady that she was not. Almost a dozen books have been written about what a woman born in the former Yugoslavia is really like 50 years ago, but the information has always come from third parties. She built a wall that, despite her obsession, the press failed to tear down.
Perhaps, one of the most sincere moments of the first lady was the one that was unveiled on October 2. That night a conversation between Melania and her ex-assistant Stephanie Winston Wolkoff was published during the summer of 2018. The former model complained about the efforts she was making to decorate the White House for Christmas and that journalists only asked her about the separation of the children on the border with Mexico, the controversial measure taken by her husband. “Who gives a damn about these things and the Christmas decorations?”, The Slovenian wondered in the call that finally revealed a glimpse of how she really felt, at least, in terms of the tradition established by one of her predecessors most iconic, Jackie Kennedy.
In her audio, Melania lamented that the media had not covered her visit to minors in immigration detention centers in Texas. "If I go to Fox News they will make the story, but I don't want to go to Fox News," she acknowledged. Another dose of truth in the ocean of secrecy. The publication of the recording took a back seat when she and Donald Trump reported late at night that they had been infected with coronavirus.
"They say that I am his accomplice, that I am the same as him (...) that I do not speak enough, that I do not do enough," she lamented. It was also said that she could not stand Ivanka Trump, that she married for convenience, and that she was the only one the New York tycoon listened to ... much was said about Melania, but she rarely confirmed or denied. With it, you just don't know. According to the news portal Page Six, she attends meetings to write her memoirs of what she experienced these four years in the White House. If it takes place, it could be a chance to learn her side of her story, and likely how the future former first lady would make a fortune.
As she barely gave interviews in these four years and there were few formal dinners she organized, the press, hungry to reveal her privacy, have devoted themselves to acting rather than research. Especially when it came to her relationship with Trump. Several sounded episodes opened the door to describe the marriage relationship as distant, as when he asked her for a smile and she refused, tried to shake his hand and she pushed him away or when the Republican simply covered himself from the rain under an umbrella and he exposed her by walking behind him in the rain. The rumor, confirmed by multiple sources, that they slept in separate rooms contributed to the narrative.
The role of the American first lady has gained more weight as the arrival of new tenants to the White House progresses. But in the Trump Administration, respect for tradition has never been the hallmark. While Melania's predecessors chose to fight for a cause since they assumed their role, it took Melania Trump 16 months to announce the Be Best campaign, a project to combat cyberbullying, among other problems that affect children. Only the choice of her fighting flag caused controversy, considering that her husband spread insults to whoever stood in her way through Twitter. The contradiction supposed some boo to Melania Trump in the events of her.
Born in Sevinca, a Slovenian town of less than 5,000 inhabitants, the daughter of a Communist Party-affiliated car dealer and a textile factory employee, she dreamed of conquering the fashion industry; no, American hearts from the epicenter of power. She yes she was characterized by setting trends with her outfits worn with grace and elegance. Many of the clothes she wore sold out quickly in stores after she wore them. But perhaps the most iconic and that best portrays the position of the first lady was Zara's raincoat that she had written on her back: "The truth is that I don't care, do you?"
