Melania Trump has maintained a low profile since leaving the White House. Although she did attend the funeral of another former First Lady, Rosalyn Carter, a couple of weeks ago, she’s not hit the campaign trail with her husband, Donald Trump.
Therefore, news of a rare public engagement for Melania has raised eyebrows.
Next Friday (Dec. 15), she will be a special guest at an event hosted by the National Archives and Records Administration. In a statement from the agency, the Bill of Rights Day function “will see 25 people from 25 nations sworn in as new U.S. citizens in front of the Constitution and our nation’s other founding documents. Former First Lady Melania Trump, herself a naturalized citizen, and Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan, will provide remarks.”
If this were any other First Lady other than Melania, this would be unremarkable. However, Mrs. Trump so rarely makes public speeches that anything she does arouses interest.
Writing in NY Mag, Margaret Hartman pointed out that this particular event is “a weird move” for Melania. The National Archives repeatedly demanded Donald Trump return top-secret documents he took from the White House.
When he failed to do so, the agency complained to the Department of Justice. It later searched Mar-A-Lago and located boxes of top secret files. That kick-started another ongoing legal drama for the former President.
So yeah… it is kinda weird that Melania should now choose the National Archives as the place to re-enter the spotlight.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
One person unimpressed is Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend and aide to Melania.
The two women used to be close. However, that went up in smoke when Wolkoff wrote her 2020 memoir, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady.
It was Wolkoff who recorded the phone conversation with Melania in which she said “F*ck Christmas”.
Melania took advantage of a so-called Einstein Visa to become a resident in the US. On Twitter, Wolkoff scoffed at her former pal appearing at the swearing-in ceremony.
“Melania is the only second former first lady to be born outside the U.S.A. but she had zero interest in highlighting that e.v.e.r,” said Wolkoff.
In a second tweet, she continued.
“The hypocrisy of Melania Trump hosting a naturalization event at the National Archives (where Donald is under investigation) is right up there with her so-called Be Best anti-bullying platform (where Donald is Bully #1). This is a strategic move on Donald & Melania’s part.
“Melania is a vessel of complicity & distraction trying to create a stark contrast from their reality. The Trump’s ‘actions’ contradict their so called ‘beliefs and values.’
“As a mother and wife and someone who cares deeply about our democracy and American values, I know Melania Trump, and she doesn’t care about US.”
The hypocrisy of Melania Trump hosting a naturalization event at the National Archives (where Donald is under investigation) is right up there with her so-called Be Best anti-bullying platform (where Donald is Bully #1). This is a strategic move on Donald & Melania’s part.… https://t.co/nkTBS0njz4— Stephanie Winston Wolkoff (@SWinstonWolkoff) December 6, 2023
Online, many expressed similar bafflement at Melania’s scheduled appearance. Others offered more practical concerns.
National Archives? I hope the boxes are locked up.— Kat (@KatInAz2022) December 6, 2023
