Melania Trump Has Found Her Footing

When Melania Trump enters the White House on January 20, she anticipates a very different experience than the time she spent there in President Trump’s first term.

Do you remember how poorly she was treated?

Never has there been so much lingering hostility so long after a presidential election.

Much of this hostility has been aimed at the first family, with a particularly cruel emphasis on Melania Trump.

And yet, despite the barrage of insults attacking her, including the New York Times reporter who referred to her as a hooker and the ex-boxer who called her a golddigger, the first lady continues to demonstrate grace, kindness and patience.

Although many first ladies have been indulged by international designers, Melania was shunned by them:

According to Daily Mail, Toni Holt Kramer, the founder of the Trumpettes support group and a close pal of Trump and his spouse, stated: ‘Things are very different this time around.’ Melania received harsh treatment from designers when Trump was first elected as the US president. This was because the designers didn't want to be linked to Trump's ‘toxic’ political style.

‘People spoke out against her and refused to dress her. She was shunned and treated appallingly but acted with nothing but class. It must have been hard for her. Now people are begging to dress her.’

She was also attacked repeatedly over those four years on social media.

But Melania appears to be turning the page with a new and refreshing attitude. She realizes that the times have changed, as has President Trump. And she is showing a new confidence and excitement about entering the White House this time around:

Asked what is different this time around, Melania Trump talked about being familiar with the process but appeared to take a jab at the Obama administration, claiming it withheld information in 2017.

‘I know the rooms where we will be living. I know the process. The first time was challenging. We didn't have much of the information. The information was upheld for us from the previous administration,’ she said.

She continued, ‘But this time, I have everything. I have plans I could move in. I already packed, I already selected the, you know, the furniture that needs to go in. So, it's very different.’

The public has also had the opportunity to learn more about her. She doesn’t hesitate to hold different opinions than her husband, such as her being pro-choice. She has also written a memoir which has allowed people to know more about her story and her private life. She is looking forward to again sponsoring the initiative she began in the first term, “Be Best.”

One observer, Donna Rice Hughes, is CEO and president of Enough Is Enough (EIE) and has been a pioneering leader on the front lines to prevent the Internet-enabled exploitation of children and families since 1994. She believes Melania has other assets to bring to her time as first lady. She understands well the vitriol that can be experienced through social media:

Given the scope of the issue, Melania has and should continue to find common ground. Liberals and conservatives share many core values, including a belief in the importance of family and a willingness to fight to protect their children. Since April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month (as President Trump declared just last week), now is the time to encourage all Americans to put aside their differences and put their children first.

And Ms. Rice added this advice:

I encourage Melania to continue to hold her head high and to demonstrate, by word and deed, what it really means to take the high road. The American people are watching, and they need a leading lady.

[First published in American Thinker on January 15, 2025]