Melania Trump gets attacked for the flaws of her husband

Criticism of the first lady extends far into the realm of the absurd. After the White House Twitter account shared a video of her admiring this year’s Christmas decorations, Washington Post fashion critic Robin Givhan wrote an article detailing the “wrongness” of the coat Melania wore, writing, “The coat is a distraction. It’s a discomforting affectation taken to a ludicrous extreme. In a video that is intended to celebrate the warmth and welcoming spirit of the holiday season, that simple flourish exudes cold, dismissive aloofness.”

While the rest of us just see a coat, Givhan finds an avenue to attack just because she dislikes Melania’s husband. But fashion isn’t the only thing Melania’s critics choose to dissect. There is much time spent incorrectly condemning substance, too.

For example, at a recent speaking engagement in Baltimore before Thanksgiving, Melania was booed.

Reuters reports:

Unsurprisingly, the mockery had everything to do with her last name and nothing to do with her appearance at a worthwhile event meant to tackle the crisis of drug addiction. But this derision is hardly a new addition to Melania’s life as the wife of the most powerful man in the world.

In May 2018, the first lady announced her “Be Best” initiative to combat the growing problem of cyberbullying, stating, “As a mother and as first lady, it concerns me that in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, children can be less prepared to express or manage their emotions and oftentimes turn to forms of destructive or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug addiction or even suicide. I feel strongly that as adults, we can and should ‘be best’ at educating our children about the importance of a healthy and balanced life.”

As this campaign is meant to address any kind of online hate, it should have been met with broad, bipartisan support. Ironically, the need for such public awareness against online attacks is demonstrated in the behavior of her campaign’s critics.

Melania Trump is not her husband. The strong juxtaposition of her demeanor and anti-bullying campaign against the character of the president is beneficial, not at all hypocritical. We can’t know what goes on behind closed doors and whether or not she addresses President Trump’s actions, but her public work to fight a growing problem that can affect children and teens in destructive, life-altering ways should always be praised.

The tendency to place guilt on Melania for things beyond her control is an unjust side effect of this political age. She is married to a man with many obvious flaws, but she is as incapable of changing his behavior as anyone else. Worst of all, her positive, affirming, youth-centric “Be Best” campaign is constantly scoffed at for existing at the same time her husband inhabits the Oval Office. In reality, there’s no better time than now to do her part to soften the landscape that is too often made harsh by the man she married.

President Trump is a polarizing figure in every aspect. He should be held accountable by everyone for words and actions that are beneath the office in which he serves. But first lady Melania Trump is a unique individual whose own character should be graded on a separate scale. And so far, she is every bit the kind of role model the country needs.

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and is a columnist at Arc Digital.