To say that the Trumps have attracted a lot of scrutiny would be an understatement. In the midst of that, though, First Lady Melania Trump unveiled a push against cyberbullying termed “Be Best”, and during her first interview since assuming her present position, the topic came up.
She’s faced criticism for bringing forward the idea in the past; after all, she’s married to the man who has made cyberbullying on Twitter synonymous with the office of the U.S. presidency. She’s stuck on through that criticism, though, and speaking with ABC’s Tom Llamas, she offered an explanation as to why, claiming to be one of the most bullied people in the world — no joke.
Llamas posed the question:
‘What is it about social media, because I remember you talking about this during the campaign? What happened to you personally or what did you see personally that you thought you wanted to tackle this issue?’
If you were expecting the First Lady to respond with a kindhearted diatribe about, say, wanting to counter and balance some of the weight of her husband’s administration, you’d have been let down.
She replied:
‘I could say I’m the most bullied person on the world.’
Seemingly incredulous, Llamas shot back:
‘You think you’re the most bullied person in the world?’
Trump remained firm in her position, maintaining:
‘[I’m] one of them, if you really see what people are saying about me.’
It’s true that individuals on the internet can often turn repugnant and nasty, and such individuals have trained their sights on the First Lady at times. To say, however, that she’s among the, if not the most bullied person in the world on a planet — and even in a country — where individuals are harassed and have their lives incessantly and tangibly threatened just because of the color of their skin is a travesty.
Her husband has helped grow the environment in which an elderly Mexican man can be beaten with a brick, offering up rhetoric left and right about the (non-existent) threat that many millions of non-whites pose to the United States. Yet, just like him, she’s most concerned with what people are saying about her online, because sure, THAT’s the most important issue here. (It’s not.)
After the above exchange, Llamas pressed on, pivoting the discussion to other facets of Melania’s “Be Best” initiative.
He asked:
‘You’re an adult, you say you’re strong — have you thought about what would this to do a child? To my son? To other children?’
Melania replied by explaining:
‘That’s why my “Be Best” infinitive is focusing on social media and online behavior. We need to educate the children of social emotional behavior, so when they grow up, they know how to deal with those issues. That’s very important. Also with opioid abuse — we have a big crisis in the United States.’
It’s true — more people die from opioid overdoses every year in the United States than gun violence. It’s also true that in theory and on paper, Melania’s “Be Best” initiative is meant to address that too. Although the program has resulted in little tangible, she promoted it during a recent trip to Africa — whatever that means, in the long run.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot