Back in 2017, former first lady Melania Trump found herself at the center of internet mockery. It was after giving a speech about the dangers of cyberbullying. As First Lady at the time, she had made combating online harassment one of her key initiatives.
Her September 2017 speech to the spouses of world leaders at the UN General Assembly was meant to lay out her agenda but it didn’t go over too well. “No child should ever feel hungry, stalked, frightened, terrorized, bullied, isolated or afraid, with nowhere to turn,” Melania proclaimed, calling for action against cyberbullying.
A noble sentiment, sure, but the message got kind of lost amidst scrutiny over her $3,000 pink dress, as per BBC . “We must teach each child the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership which can only be taught by example,” Melania stated.
Donald Trump has been accused of using his own social media accounts to bully a vast array of people. Across former President Donald Trump ‘s four years in the White House , he frequently took to social media to level sharp attacks against his critics and political opponents.
#MELANIATRUMP #Melania I will choose Dr. Jill Biden in a “fruit salad” dress over the hot pink batwing wetsuit, coronavirus and nipple “fashion” any day! On the other hand, any dress looks better with a genuine smile and as far as Melanie is concerned, I REALLY DON’T CARE! pic.twitter.com/8UykviZSfR
— Becky S. Women’s Rights, Biden 2024 (@BeckySpooner1) June 26, 2021
In 2019, Trump tweeted about Greta Thunberg , a young climate activist, criticizing her, “Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!”
In response, the then-16-year-old subtly changed her Twitter bio to mock the president. Her bio read, “A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old-fashioned movie with a friend,” as per The Guardian .
So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill! https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019
One Twitter user said , “Remember when Melania Trump announced that her pet cause as First Lady would be bullying? Specifically, cyber-bullying? LOL. Like, ma’am. Ma’am. Maaa’aaam….if you don’t get the fuck.”
Another said , “Melania Trump created ‘Be Best’ to focus on & reduce youth cyberbullying. Just for her childish, failed, illegitimate & nonpresidential husband to cyberbully federal & state prosecutors. You’re free to threaten, but there are consequences.” Looking back, the situation really showed how Melania talked about values like kindness and stopping cyberbullying, while her husband, who’s known for hurling insults online, did the opposite.
Melania did acknowledge the criticism later, saying she was “okay” with people ridiculing her over the perceived hypocrisy of her “Be Best” initiative against online harassment.
She added, “It is not news or surprising to me that critics and the media have chosen to ridicule me for speaking out on this issue, and that’s okay. I remain committed to tackling this topic because it will provide a better world for our children.” She claimed, “I hope that, as I do, you will consider using their negative words as motivation to do all you can to bring awareness and understanding about responsible online behavior.”