During the Trump presidency, Melania Trump often stood apart from her husband, especially on divisive issues, according to Kate Andersen Rogers in the book “American Woman.” One notable instance was when Donald Trump made controversial remarks about the 2017 White nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, stating there were “very fine people, on both sides.” Melania, in contrast, swiftly discouraged violence, emphasizing on Twitter: “Our country encourages freedom of speech, but let’s communicate w/o hate in our hearts. No good comes from violence.”
Melania also took differing stances on issues like Trump’s criticism of Black athletes kneeling during the national anthem. When the president insulted LeBron James, Melania had her press secretary issue a statement praising the basketball player.
Rogers describes Melania’s tweets as “small gestures” that positioned her as a rare figure in the Trump administration seemingly interested in calming cultural divides rather than widening them. Despite being digital ephemera, Melania’s messages contrasted with her husband’s more confrontational approach.
However, some of Melania’s public moments caused tension, as seen when she wore a jacket with the phrase “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?” during a visit to a migrant detention center. This incident led to a notorious moment in Melania’s tenure as first lady, marked by chaos and a controversial official explanation that Melania was speaking directly to the media. Grisham, Melania’s press secretary, recalled that Trump summoned them to his office, berated them, and then decided on the official explanation for the jacket.
“Her tweets were small gestures that amounted to little more than digital ephemera,” Rogers writes. “Still, compared with her husband’s bridge burners, Melania’s missives established her as a rare figure in the Trump administration who seemed more interested in calming a cultural divide than widening it.”
