I almost admire her. When her part in the history of her husband's administration is written, it will be that her primary concern was her son.
Jacqueline Kennedy once said, "if you bungle raising your kids, then not much else matters."
22
If Melania doesn’t care for Karen, I’m sure Karen Pence doesn’t think much of Melania Trump either.
They will either go their separate ways after the election, or if Pence somehow becomes First Lady, she’ll follow the example of Barbara Bush. That is, Mrs. Bush bided her time until Nancy Reagan was irrelevant.
Although I wasn’t a fan of Mrs. Bush, she ably showed that Nancy was a shallow, celebrity-obsessed, vainglorious politician’s wife, with absolutely nothing to say. Including “Just say no.”
37
And in what room in the White House does she keep the self respect she handed over to her lying ,cheating ,sexually assaulting husband the day she married him?
157
What I like best about Melania is that she speaks so sincerely from Michelle Obama's heart.
184
Melania is a perfect fit for the for a pompous and corrupt real estate developer who epitomizes the gaudy and pretentious but who has the taste of a bona fide philistine. They deserve one another's lack of depth and neither has the capacity or interest in using their status to help the Nation understand the complexity of the problems that threaten our precious Democracy. I have yet to hear either one of them demonstrate intellectual rigor
112
I heard that it was Karen Pence who decided that the company was better elsewhere on the plane...
32
Hmmm, a biography of Melania Trump. I would imagine all the pages are blank. What has she accomplished? Nothing. Sad.
119
Any takers on how many weeks of airtime Fox would've filled if there had been a Mrs. Obama 'glam room'?
575
@Lars clearly, there was not a Michelle Obama glam room, but that’s likely because Mrs. Obama made a concerted effort to glam down, to show the world how serious she was. Like most European women, Melania doesn’t feel the need to downplay her beauty in order to feel that she is being taken seriously.
111
@Christine Flowers Naive to think Michelle Obama did not spend some time on her appearance. But she was also very smart, warm and smiling, with energy spent on good causes and her daughters.
171
Beautiful? Sorry, constant glaring, pouting and posing with squinting eyes is not my idea of beautiful.
285
Not a word about her plagiarized speech? Seriously?
125
I don't really care about Melania Trump, but she has a position and platform that she could put to use doing something good and productive and she does nothing with it. What a waste.
1483
@Chris She could do some damage. Be glad she is doing nothing.
150
@ Lorraine Anne Davis in Houston Texas -
“She could do some damage...
Her husband has practically destroyed our country in three short years! The hatred he’s emboldened Worldwide proves it just from the bulk of these comments. I hope each reader that fears for our country in the hands of DJT the way I do get out and back whomever the Democratic candidate will be. And that the billionaires will drop out and do the same (for VP Biden.)
98
@Lorraine Anne Davis She is doing a lot of damage. Girls nationwide look up to the first lady as a role model, and she is a horrible example.
184
Let’s face it. If Melania was the wife of a Democrat President the media would be swooning about her beauty and stylish dress. She would be the “new Jackie Kennedy”. As it now stands she is an ungrateful immigrant who is merely a model with no class and no substantial accomplishments. Compare that to how the media portrayed Michelle Obama as this Uber-smart, “woke”, classy First Lady who was dubbed the “ black Jackie Kennedy”. Sad.
217
@Art Hudson um.. don’t think the Democratic Party would be glamourizing her....not anyone o know thinks she is well educated or motivational....
398
@Art Hudson oh, really? Unless I'm misinformed, Jackie did not model nude in Slovenia.
764
@Art Hudson - Wrong. There is no comparison. Michelle Obama paid for her own education and actually managed to get some things accomplished such as a career and some much needed public health initiatives.
Melania was a nude model who married a creep for money and a green card.
1499
I will never cease to find it hilarious that Melania Trump took up anti-cyberbullying as her good cause while her husband is quite literally the biggest cyber bully in all of history.
Clever act of defiance or unintentional irony? I’d love to know.
2963
@Roman Considering that she supported the birther conspiracy of President Obama, I'm going with unintentional irony.
606
@Roman It's like her I really don't care, do you jacket - does it matter? According to the author of the book, no. Vapid, greedy, vapid.
126
@Roman An act of defiance like marrying Trump. What normal person would live with him?
116
It's hard to respect a woman who emigrated here, brought her parents over, yet is silent about Miller and Trump closing the borders to anyone else and Trump's blatant misogyny.
Whatever Melania's ideas are, any good she manages to do is dwarfed by the enormity of the issues she turns her back on.
2517
@Zeke27 And let's not forget she was a vocal Birther. It's about the only time she's voiced an opinion about anything.
342
@Zeke27
Not to forget she worked in the US while still on a visitor's visa.
325
@Sarah And, leave us remember, she frolicked in the altogether for photogs.
130
Before she became the 3rd Mrs Trump she was a nude model featured in full frontal body shots.
As far as I know, no Democratic First Lady has had such a sleazy past.
It's difficult to go lower than Melainia Trump.
113
The only aspect of Melania I find admirable is that she keeps her son out of the public eye as much as possible. No easy feat considering the Dumpster Fire that is her husband's administration. That does not ameliorate the fact that she is complicit with her husband's putting children in concentration camps at the border, and saying she is "the most bullied person in the world." She chose a gilded cage with an odious, crass man. I only wish she would take him back to Trump Tower and disappear from Washington.
83
"Glam room." It must take her hours to slap on that much makeup every day. Not a role model, just a model.....
50
Interesting. But, what does she do all day?
42
One can safely assume, of course, that there is an all-encompassing, nondisclosure clause in the the Trumps’ prenuptial agreement. After their likely post White House divorce, Melania’s tell all account of her years spent/endured with the Donald could be worth many millions to her. Chances are also likely, if not certain, that he never honestly accounted to her the full extent of his wealth before the prenup was executed, allowing her to seek its nullification, thus clearing the way for the publication of her blockbuster book parting the opaque curtain of secrecy surrounding their chaotic, unconventional life together . It would be a doozy!
28
I'm hoping they will not be making a Broadway musical called "Melania" sometime in the future, but anything is possible.
5
Our current First Lady:
1. a legal immigrant who made a pile of cash on her own abilities;
2. A mother who is willing to sacrifice the limelight and her personal comfort for the sake of her young son;
3. A political wife who knows the value of a) not upstaging the President; and, b) who never leaks information;
4. A woman who can take the 'press trash talk' and keep on moving gracefully, beautifully, and respectfully;
5. A naturalized citizen who genuinely thinks that the USA is the best country in the world;
6. A wife who has been emotionally injured by her boorish husband but who is willing to do a "Dolly Parton" amd 'stand by your man', even when it hurts;
I rest my case: a classy lady we can all be proud of!
8
@Mike How do you know what Melania Trump thinks about the US or anything? When's the last time you heard her give a talk where she wasn't reading a script someone wrote for her?
73
@Mike
How quickly we forget.
"Stand By Your Man" was co-written by the incomparable Tammy Wynette, who had a huge hit with it. As far as I can tell, Dolly has never recorded the song, although Tina Turner has.
39
Oh, please!
She made her way in the world on her looks.
Her original visa status is pretty murky.
She has sold her soul for wealth and what passes for reflected stature.
Yes, just what every woman should aspire to: Barbie personified.
83
First Ladies make their mark in unique way.
Laura Bush - literacy
Betty Ford - equal rights and advocate for breast cancer research
Hillary Clinton - healthcare (and passed enormous children's healthcare bill to cover un-insured children) and women's rights
Michelle Obama - childhood obesity and fitness
The list goes on and on.
Melania Trump- "glam room"
76
Betty Ford also Went public with her battles with alcoholism bringing rehabilitation into the public arena and saved more lives than all these other beds put together
39
@Gus Since when is the First Lady's anti-Bullying work something to be downgraded? I think you've caught a 'glam room' in your throat and can't cough it up.
5
@Mike
Because she has never done Anything to discuss bullying, least of all in her own home.
56
Funny how we've seen Trump's wife naked but never his taxes. Got to think she never wished for this. Maybe she's pretty normal, for a barely-billionaire wife. I mean, who could stand the religious uppitiness of Mrs Pence or the climbing posturing fakeness of Ivanka? If I'm Melania, I'm taking what I can from this 4 years of high(er) living then taking half of Donny and living my life. But, maybe I'm being too generous. I want to hate her and Barron as much as I hate the man. Maybe that's not fair ;) Good luck Melanoma, and I don't care about you either!
11 months. Vote responsibly and hopefully this national psychological trauma will be replaced by some sort of sanity. A slice of pizza could do less harm.
52
Well I don't care either. Leave the first lady alone. I don't care for her, personally, but she didn't run for office, was not elected, and is not responsible for her husband's vile policies. The time we waste on her could be better spent working to make sure she and her husband are evicted from the White House in January, 2021, if not sooner.
30
I really and truly hope that NO ONE buys her book. Just listened to an interview with the most obsequious author. A true whitewash. Put out as we move closer to the 2020 election....An outrage.
16
@Outrée Thank the Almighty that "whitewash" has never touched the reputation of that supercilious First Lady once called "Michelle O."!
2
I think it's preposterous that Mrs Trump wore the infamous "I Don't Care" coat to send a message to Ivanka. Why would she wear it when visiting the border? She could have worn it in many, many other contexts and to many other events. I think Bennett is not forthright on this issue. Her take is an insult to the intelligence of the reader.
47
Of all the people in Trump's family, Melania is the one I least respect. Whele Don Jr, Eric, Ivanka are tied to Trump by genetics, Melania is the only one there voluntarily.
58
I loathe Donald Trump but don't care at all about Melania. I read this piece thinking there might be some novel insight into the First Escort, but there was not. She is married to Donald; there is almost no crime that warrants that punishment. She and everyone else will be happy when Trump is out of office and she can go back to spending his money.
23
Melania Trump leaves me cold. She may have beauty, but she always looks guarded and unhappy. I really couldn't care less about her ironic "Be Best" theme, her clothing or her life.
27
Actually, sometimes I wonder how Melania sees the world and her place in it. I’ve always been curious about women who survive via their looks, the dynamics and trade offs such a life requires, and then what happens when the looks go.
What a deal with the devil Melania has made. Was it worth it? Wouldn’t it have been easier to continue as a professional model than marry someone so cruel? If she wanted the marriage off ramp, she had to know another opportunity would have come along. Why this one?
I suspect the payoff for her, besides her own access to luxury (well, something resembling luxury I suppose) was being able to bring her parents here to live in comfort.
Can’t imagine living like that. Don’t want to.
26
@Chickpea Better the devil you know, friend, than the devil you don't!
1
Who knows what the lady thinks? She may have been in a tight spot when she made a deal with the Devil. There is no comparison to Jackie or Michelle who was/are both educated and charming women. I see a woman in a gilded cage trying desperately to shield her son from this ongoing tragedy.
23
There is no universe where this first lady is given adequate scrutiny to uncover who she really is. She has no formal higher education; has held no real job; has done nothing noteworthy with her life prior to being first lady - or in the past three years as first lady; has no redeeming qualities that give inspire confidence in her leadership, integrity or skills.
Were we to get to know this woman, many would not be surprised by the first lady's ability to make a career off the Trump name. After all, the rest of the family has done exactly the same profiteering while having no known skills, abilities or likeability.
52
I can't think of anything less interesting than Trump's wife.
To compare her to Jacklyn Bouvier Kennedy is an absolute insult. Jackie was an educated, refined, sophisticated woman, who turned the White House into the American museum that it is know as today (filled with history, American art and furniture).
There used to be a day when Americans admired the First Lady, despite their respective politics, but Melania's history, former occupation, and overt disinterest and uselessness in the role, has destroyed that.
She couldn't even be bothered to pose with the White House Christmas trees; instead her office released a photo of her back. Another example of her lack of grace, pose and sophistication.
The Trumps have separate bedrooms. Is that suppose to be a surprise. We all knew it was a sham marriage from the get go. They deserve each other.
52
Let's not forget she fully subscribed to the birther nonsense her husband supported.
It says a lot about their relationship when her husband said "she has a son" during the vaping discussions and then had to back peddle saying there is concern for their son.
41
Jackie Kennedy was the first First Lady in my lifetime. I was too young to take any notice of Mamie Eisenhower. There have been some stinkers in the White House since then, but their wives have always been exemplary--and in the case of the last two Democratic presidents, extraordinary. It's phenomenal that this run of admirable First Ladys should have lasted so long, and that it took so long for someone of Mrs Trump's dubious history notable vacuity and aimlessness to find her way into The White House. If her husband's criminal neglect of climate catastrophe doesn't help terminate western civilization, which seems more and more probable, I suspect we'll see many more Melania Trumps (and many fewer Hilary Rodham Clintons).
22
I do not understand . As far as I can tell, Mrs Trump has done nothing notable except generating rumors about herself, and we now have a book seemingly dedicated to repeating these rumors . This seems to be the prototypical "tell all" that tells nothing at all . It reminds me of CNN News .
10
Melania received an "Einstein" visa to the US--her "special talent" was being a model. She subscribed to the "birther" conspiracy. Referred to herself as "the most bullied person on the planet." She's married to a mob boss who has called women "pigs" and "dogs" and who vilifies his critics.. Her "Be Best" campaign is supposedly meant to alert kids to bullying.
Why would I waste my beautiful mind on a book about a beautifully groomed, vacant person who is complicit in the awfulness perpetrated by her husband upon the country of my birth?! ?
90
She probably does put a lot of thought into what she wears. She was a model, after all. What they are is what they wear and they serve no other purpose than that. If she has brains, ambition to "be more," an education, talent, charm, a personality, a sense of humor or deeply-held convictions, I haven't seen any signs of them. That she is an Ice Queen and can barely stand her husband is as plain as day, though, but her job as Mrs. Trump is to be an attractive paper doll, a mannequin, arm-candy, and to sit down and shut up and not violate the wording of her NDA lest he throw her out of the country along with the rest of the immigrants.
38
We don't have to delve into unknown mysteries about Melania. We know she is married to someone she knows is a serial cheater, a liar and an abuser. He's crude in public and likely even more crude in private. He is overweight, borderline obese. It's hard to see how Melania could like that combination in a husband. He had the money, however, and that was the main thing for her, doubtless. She will almost certainly divorce him after he leaves office and she can secure a goodly share of his money without him.
47
Today I happened to watch the silly, supremely entertaining 80’s movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Headly about con artists in the south of France. It made me think of the Trump family, a big group of grifters, Melania included, except they aren’t charming or comical.
39
The only evidence we need of Melania's utterly lacking character is her choice of husband.
67
@KMW
She has achieved a lot in her short life-span. Like what?
33
The triumph of superficiality...of form versus substance.
17
What a shame that there seems so little to share other than Mrs. Trump's clothing choices, vague jabs, and tussles in her personal relationships.
12
I’d love to read the prenup.
22
There are those that feel sorry for Melania Trump. I'm not one of those people. She was a fully grown adult woman when she met and married Donald Trump and his reputation for treating women horribly and cheating everyone he could was well known. That she finds herself as First Lady is, I'm sure, as much a surprise to her as the rest of us. I'm sure she longs for the day she can disappear back into Trump Tower and I'm totally on board with that day coming soon.
64
Illegal immigrant working on a false visa soft core photo model and utterly free of anything resembling principles ideals policies or programs — the perfect accomplice for the current president
96
Melania Trump seems to be savvy and careful. I think she is a lot smarter than people give her credit. I read that she refused to give her phone number to Mr. Trump the first time they met. She is probably going along with all this, in order to protect her son and spare him any trauma if she were to leave Mr. Trump at this time. Let us see what she does once Mr. Trump leaves office.
11
@Jana
The boy is thirteen. She had lots of time to leave before Trump got into office. More likely, she's hoping he'll die.
32
Oh how refreshing Jill Biden will be as First Lady. One who will take on a cause for a better America, be it education, childrens' issues, or a similar worthwhile use of her position in the White House.
A real First Lady!
24
@Carolyn M.: I'm looking forward to next year, when Elizabeth Warren's husband will become the first First Gentleman in the history of the United States. That will be truly refreshing.
35
Melania doesn't look very happy. Even as a model who is used to being photographed, she always wears a mask that you can't see through.
25
That's a result of all the plastic surgery she's had.
26
“By-and-by ladies will form a part of the membership of all the legislatures in the world; as soon as they can prove competency they will be admitted”. (Mark Twain, “Stirring Times in Austria”, 1898). Melania Trump has contributed nothing to women or women’s rights. She has set us back decades.
22
All this cynicism good and all, but (suffering what she must) doesn’t Melania deserve a rallying of support for and around her? Can’t get more symbolically feminist or pop than that.
2
Who cares about “Free, Melania” or “I really don’t care”?
What we do care about is how she and her parents got their immigration status. What a mockery of the system and Trump's current policies.
60
I find her to be one of the biggest hypocrites on the planet.
Melania says she cares about children but what exactly has she done for the children who were locked up behind fences and without any record keeping of who their parents are?
Melania seems to follow orders, not to rock the boat of her husbands re-election. No guts, no glory.
All the people who surround Trump are just cowards who won't challenge him on the things he does that are inhumane, including his wife.
60
Who really cares? I only care that the whole lot is out of there in January 2021.
54
Her parents overstayed their Visas...you will not see any Trump lovers suggesting we deport them.
37
@David: They're now citizens. Big surprise, right?
9
Not just a birther but she financially ruined a blogger for merely passing on a scandalous story about her that could not be proven. Yet, she has no problem with the thuggish lies of her husband meant to terrify and do harm to others. I find her akin to an old world wife who seeks power and coin by way of a symbiotic marital relationship. A bully husband with money checks a few boxes. She will not be remembered as an American First Lady.
55
This is a woman who came here illegally, overstayed her visa, obtained citizenship through questionable means and brought her family along through the type of chain migration her husband is looking to abolish. A birther, a trophy wife, a plagiarist and like her husband, a liar (Five languages and a degree in architecture? Ha!) Why are none of these very significant issues mentioned in this puff piece?
94
That she’s a birther says it all.
41
Melania is a beautiful, well-dressed, empty shell of a woman who has done absolutely nothing useful as First Lady.
Is there anything less interesting or relevant than a column about her? The only thing that comes to mind is the recent column about how Marla Marples spends her Sundays.
I don't really care (about Melania). Do you?
61
@LauraF
She's NOT beautiful...she's plastic.
29
@Callie Rose
I happily concede your point.
11
... And which 12 languages is it that she’s fluent in?
23
She's an embarrassment, just like her husband, only his embarrassment-factor is dwarfed exponentially due to a toxic, dangerous, ignorant cluelessness on so many meaningful fronts...
30
If you really want to feel ill, visit a neighbor as I did this recently and see the Cult 45 fundraising direct mail packages with Melania's return address. The pitch letters are "signed" by her, full of woe-is-us about how she and her poor husband are victims. Whoever copywrites this stuff should be ashamed. Sad to report that my neighbor, obviously a contributor, is a retired urban business executive.
31
What happened to her anti--cyber bullying campaign? A good place to start would of course be with cyber bullying twitter-in-chief spouse.
25
Who cares about her? Really!
Is this latest sideshow distraction of any possible significance or relevance to *anything* in our nation or the world? Apart as an index of how depraved the "interests" of the public have become under the influence of this meretricious tinsel regime?
9
So she keeps her stilettos on when she stands next to Karen Pence? That's funny. Guess she just wants to "be best". She really ought to give those heels a rest after she turns 50. Otherwise she'll have foot problems way worse than bone spurs in her old age...
24
I would love to hear about the work she did when she first set foot in America. Modeling? What agency? Other work... Zero info... Is she shy about the did?
Investigative reporters, where are you?
30
Does anyone remember that when Trump was running, she made him promise that he would not win? When he did, which was a surprise, he apparently conveniently forgot that promise, request.... or just ignored it....
This was NOT a job she wanted.
4
I don't care do you?????
30
I've seen a few prenups (antenuptial agreements) and I'm quite certain that Melania's goals in life are closely tied to the benchmarks laid out in her prenup. I wouldn't be surprised if the Trump prenup was amended when he ran for and/or won the presidency. She's almost definitely waiting on a huge payday, and is contractually bound to keep quiet until (and probably after) his term ends; hence her use of symbolic protest.
20
Wow!
A First Lady of the United States of America that has nude pictures of herself out there for the whole world to see.
Wow!
40
@Doremus Jessup - That is the Christian right for you. But Barack wore a tan suit and it was a sign of the End Times.
54
The white hat to which you refer - and link - was worn by Madame L'Orange in France, not England. It's important this stuff is factually correct, n'est-ce pas?
15
@Hazel
Actually, she wore that hat in Washington D.C. - during a state visit of Pres. Macron of France.
2
She is totally useless from a political/patriotic perspective whose sole value in that context is to serve a utilitarian purpose for Donald Trump. She and her parents had no more right to citizenship than the tens of thousands being denied that right through Trump’s nativist motivations — a motivation that didn’t apply hypocritically to his future wife. Her value as a First Lady in comparison with other First Ladies going back to Martha Washington is nil. She offers no charitable or otherwise beneficial example — except perhaps for the Republican Party itself as to how to relate to Donald Trump — i.e.: as a doormat.
61
Her partnering with the terrible human we must call our president exhibits values we would never witness with Michelle Obama. "Woke and classy" are such clever racial descriptions.
clever boy.
12
Melanie is a do-nothing, mean girl, First Lady who spends her time contriving passive aggressive ways to manipulate the other women around her to keep them in their place- below her. Lovely.
50
STILL waiting for her press conference about how she and her parents came to this country. Waiting, waiting waiting. Don't hold your breath.
61
Most US First Ladies so far have either spent their adult lives steeped in politics, following their husbands' careers and helping along, and/or have had their own accomplished careers. Melania Trump is neither. If her modeling stints brought her any modest publicity, it was apparently due to Trump's influence and intervention. So why would anyone expect that this private woman who clearly is repulsed by politics would behave any differently while in the White House?
She most likely has little if any interest in using her influence to do anything of substantial positive value (and she may be limited in what she can do by the mere association with someone like Trump). So we should just leave her alone and let her be. I feel like talking to her is akin to discussing pretty wallpaper - it is there but it is silent to the point of being bereft of any meaning.
12
Given that Melanija is the mother of Trump's child and he appears to be supporting her entire family, any less-than- glowing opinions she may have about him, his family, their marriage or the political situation are not likely to be shared any time soon. Trying to divine a person's essence from distant vantage points, as this author appears to have done, is not likely to be very illuminating.
11
Personally, I am not interested in “First Ladies.” Their husbands were elected to office and First Ladies should be kept out of it.
I’d have great respect for a First Lady who said “leave me out of it.” Or, like so many married couples, just got on with her own career with no official duties related to the White House or the Presidency. I have a feeling that many First Ladies would like that just fine.
9
Way back when, I remember, Melanie Trump deadpanning that he didn't marry her for her money and she didn't marry him for his looks.
Bluntly stated and thoroughly self-serving. They both deserve each other that's for sure.
And, heaven only knows, how in the world they've ended up at the White House.
Eleven more months people. Vote democratic!
62
I do not like or care for Melania or anyone close to Trump. Guilt by association? Absolutely.
33
I really hope, dear NYT, that these comments are not considered uncivil.
People project their fantasies unto the First Lady. Melania has not been silent as people say. She has spoken out on topics of interest to her. Some may chose to ignore her words and deeds if they don't match with their projection of her as a silent victim of the president.
2
@kim She spoke up to support Donny's bither theories. So there's that.
24
Not a Melanie fan. I would choose being trapped in a elevator with her over Kellyanne or Huckabee Sanders. What is with the women around Trump?
26
@Llewis Why make this otherwise on-target comment specific to the women around Trump, rather than nearly everyone?
8
Melania's worst moment was by far when she smiled vacantly as she held a two month infant who had been orphaned by the El Paso shootings while her husband flashed a thumbs up. She was holding the baby like a total prop. No humanity, no tenderness. She really didnt care.
103
@Ivy That was awful. Don't remind me.
20
All gossip. I believe in my heart of hearts that Trump’s version of crematoriums may be coming to our country and we’re discussing a glam room. It’s beyond appalling. NYT: shame on you.
7
She married Donald Trump.
That tells you all you need to know.
90
@JayK
Yes, but is there an impeachment clause in the (amended) prenup? Inquiring minds want to know!
(I thought I saw her holding a rolled up piece of paper behind her back when the two of them famously descended the stairs at Trump Tower to announce his candidacy.)
2
Interesting research reveals that people with personality disorders often marry someone with the same affliction. Each is developmentally arrested.
Emotionally healthy individuals can spot a narcissist from miles away and steer clear.
39
I do not know Melania Trump so I can only go by what I have seen with my own two eyes:
a woman who posed in pornographic magazines, smacked her husband's hand several times in public, first smiled than frowned deeply when her husband didn't acknowledge her during the inauguration, be complicit in the birther lie, and make eyes at Justin Trudeau.
I wonder how Republicans would have treated Michelle and Hilary under the same circumstances.
63
I can’t hold against her for making eyes though, she is only human
15
@Cattydcat talking of cats, other photos of Ivanka gazing at the lovely Justin suggests Melania might have a fight on her hands....
12
I cannot judge Melania objectively because my negative feelings about Mr. Trump are so pervasive that those feeling spread to any one who plays a role in keeping his ship afloat. I am not proud to say that, but that's how I feel.
30
like her jacket, "I really don't care" about her. She married a two timing cheat and defended the Birtherism charges, not to mention the plagiarism she committed. (IF she did feel badly, why no acceptance of fault or apology.) She is an enabler, bottom line, who deserves no sympathy, empathy, or attention.
67
She is not a First Lady we can be proud of. We believe she is under contract and will live up to it until released. No one else would suffer the indignities she has suffered. Fortunately she remains in the background enough for us to forget about her.
23
I really don’t care. Do you?
In three years time, this woman has done nor said nothing either interesting or admirable. Never mind that she once posed for tasteless nude photos, while handcuffed, that were published in a national magazine.
She’s no more fit to represent this country than her shameful spouse.
72
Melania is doing just what she needs to do as part of the contract she has with the man. Observing her when she is on camera, she works hard to be what she needs to be. At least she appears to be a decent mother to Barron.
12
@Hj - Being a fashion hound, I wish she would at least buy Barron a suit that fits him. He always looks like he is wearing Eric's hand-me-downs. But I agree with you that my gut tells me she is good to her only son. She keeps him away from his father for starts.
5
Talk about one book I just don't care about.
16
She has done nothing and what she had to offer to the US by her questionable legal entry is REALLY what wrong with our immigration system. I still ponder and ask myself why the article in her Be Best slogan,which is meaningless,lacks the English article “the”. No one had the nerve to tell her she needed an article before “ best”?
18
For having beauty, status, wealth, and power, she sure doesn't seem like she's happy. We need to get rid of the cultural narrative that those things are the important things. They are not.
38
She is a cipher, tightly self-controlled and inaccessible. These revelations really don't break into that, though it's interesting the relationship with Mrs. Pence. That is the most intriguing and humanizing detail here.
18
What bothers me is the fact that Melania's parents gained US citizenship so quickly. Do they have their own security detail now?
62
There is no person in the first family (except Tiffany and Barron) who is not a profound embarassment to the nation.
90
Neither (she / he) are deserving of where they currently are - they both live off the backs of the American tax payer - he has a stage for his bad behavior and she does....she does nothing. A person is judged by the company they keep - who he is, what he is - well, she approves. I have no use for this person - she was sold and bought - we know how he likes cheap and tawdry.
71
She knew who she was marrying when she married him so there are definite limits as to how sorry one should feel for her. Granted she never anticipated that she would end up where she is today.
As to the immigration question, she comes from Europe and her husband approves of immigration from countries with the correct skin complexion.
One day we may learn her opinion, if any, on the irony of being an immigrant First Lady in this administration.
40
A room of her own. Wasn't that a book or something? Bravo to her! And...... as for her cyber bullying cause. I think it's a great cause to choose as it has become apparent that many kids are falling prey to the negative comments made about them from their peers online and doing self harm. So, was she supposed to choose something else more in line with her husband's concerns? (whatever THAT would be, don't get me started) Instead of what is really needed? I find it admirable that she did not fall to media pressure and change it.
4
@C. Bernard She is, at best, complicit in her husband's bullying. "Be best" is sad and shameful.
47
@C. Bernard - You seem to have missed the fact that she has done absolutely nothing to help prevent cyber bullying.
60
Her husband is the biggest cyber bully in the nation.
45
I don’t think she has accomplished much at all !
She can hardly string two words of english together, has made no real contribution to life in america, and has been a ‘taker’ rather than a ‘giver’ all of her life !
Just there for the money like her husband.
79
Sounds like Be Best has as much thought and effort put into it as Mrs. Trump's highly criticized 2016 convention speech.
44
Melania’s comment "I could say I'm the most bullied person on (sic) the world," struck me as the most revealing of those I have read. While I have a great deal of sympathy for public figures who are skewered in the media and by ruthless trolls, her comment seemed to show a remarkable lack of awareness of the tremendous privileges she has enjoyed and the genuine suffering and fear her husband has unleashed on people who are far more vulnerable.
Yes, Melania, no doubt a great deal of cyber nastiness is directed your way, but I am unaware of you ever having to sit in a cold, crowded detention center with your child taken from you and put into a cage as you wait in limbo to be sent back to face the violence of your home country and to perhaps never see your child again. I suppose people saying bad things about you on the internet makes you a victim too, but I can’t say that concern for you is high on my list. It is advisable to have a greater awareness beyond one’s own suffering, particularly when your husband is President of the United States.
112
@NJ Lambert - If you go to Breitbart today, it won't take long to find comments calling Michelle Obama "Michael" since they claim she is a transsexual. And of course, they have long compared her to Harambe the Gorilla. I find the last comparison interesting in that Harambe was highly intelligent possessing a much larger vocabulary than Republican senators such as Senator Kennedy of Louisiana.
14
@NJ Lambert
My thinking was if she is tired of being the most bullied person in the world she should get a divorce
15
During the campaign she proclaimed herself a Birther on tv. Enough said.
92
What I'd like to know is why a woman who has been in the U.S. for 30 years or so has such poor command of the English language. You would think someone in her position would have worked on that, but, of course, her husband's command of English isn't so great, either, maybe talking isn't their thing.
119
So, Ms. Bennett's book has us believe that instead of reading tea leaves, we need to read Ms. Trump's wardrobe to understand what she's trying to tell her adoring public? To be fair, presidential spouses' wardrobes are always of interest, but rarely are they code. Fashion statements, perhaps, but not purveyors of catty messages to step-daughters or a colleagues' wife.
Thus far, I had pegged Ms. Trump as a "lady who lunches" thrown into a role she didn't seek and doesn't enjoy, but it seems to be a lot worse than I thought.
13
@B. Adams - I read an article long before Trump ran for president by the butler of Trump's place in Mar-a-Lago. He wrote that any time Donald wore a red hat it meant he was angry. One day, he wrote, Trump's pilot called ahead to warn him that Donald was wearing red. So, the butler quickly hired a trumpet player to play Hail to the Chief when he arrived.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/us/politics/donald-trump-butler-mar-a-lago.html
2
Melania got into the country on a genius visa and certainly I see no talent there. She has a huge platform to make a difference and she does nothing.
66
In re Melania and this biography -- I really don't care.
22
They were careless people. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
143
Bigly!
7
I feel a bit sorry for the book’s author. As a journalist she was assigned the job of covering quite a vapid First Lady in a WH famous for lying to the public. I assume she is writing this book to record her impressions and make some money from her experiences. And yet I can’t see anyone, on the Right or Left, buying it, for opposite reasons.
10
Like the jacket says: I Really Don’t Care....
However, it is quite hard to have any respect for her, considering the company she keeps, and her deafening silence on so many issues that make her appear an obvious hypocrite.
42
Wow! I learned absolutely nothing from the review. And definitely NO need to buy such trashy gossip.
7
To give a woman we really know nothing about, except twerpy second-hand supermarket literature, I will give her every benefit of the doubt.
Lest we forget, Trump’s campaign speeches and behavior were like beginner piano lessons, compared to the Mussolini-style assassin-style invective which has reached a psychopathic screech at the beginning of his fourth year, and a few hundred headaches for me.
I can only imagine her reluctance to make public appearances or get involved in more projects has a great deal to do with the shock to her system from watching her husband decompensate into a blundering, incoherent madman. It’s not nuclear physics you know. It’s pride of self being sabotaged by every racist and savage tweet coming from her husband’s side of the White House.
11
@MaxCornise She is there by choice.
16
Our so-called “First Lady” embodies all I hope my four granddaughters do not become.
1238
@GGram Tasteless and classless. Your comments, not the First Lady.
4
@Karen Hardly! GGram’s expressed his/ her opinion in a non-divisive, matter of fact way that neither personally attacked nor bullied Melania Trump. There was nothing tasteless or classless about this comment. Your comment, however, is shameless given the actions and words of members of the Trump family. Who do you think you’re kidding? Wake up!
114
I don’t know how she can stand being married to DJT and the vocal support of birtherism is appalling, but I have one positive to put forward regarding Melania. She handles herself very well on overseas trips. Whether it’s the contrast to “the Ugly American” show put on by her husband or her ability however limited with some other languages, she is very well received by foreign luminaries whether it’s the Pope or Mme Macron.
10
Inquiring minds wanting to know are not inconsistent with civility toward persons in the public eye.
Civility also accords them the presumption of "law abiding citizen" status all are accorded.
But complications arise because of that which causes the public to eye them. In the case of this First Lady, assuredly her marriage to the already much publicly eyed Mr T, if not her career as a fashion model (though to a considerably lesser extent).
To this observer's knowledge, neither the complications nor what has come to light in this book, nor anything else rebuts presumption she's been accorded.
@Jethro Pen She was a model...but NOT a fashion model.
33
Was she actually a fashion model, or did she just pose for nude photographs? Until she married him and he became famous outside New York, a la The Apprentice, I had never heard of her as a runway model as you would have some of the more famous supermodels who are household names, even among people who follow fashion only at a distance.
14
@Laura - Until Trump had run for office, I had never heard of her. Its not like she is Twiggy, Lauren Hutton, Jerry Hall, Iman, Cindie Crawford, Brooke Shields, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, et al. She hasn't even been on Dancing With the Stars.
7
Every morning when Mrs. Trump arises, she willingly cooperates with Donald Trump and his administration - that's all anyone needs to know about her.
75
As others have noted, FLOTUS is an ambiguous role that can be as big or small as the current occupant's desires and capabilities.
This one? Pretty small.
36
Melania took the simplest route to economic security by marrying a wealthy older man. She probably isn’t ambitious for much more than a comfortable life in the lap of luxury. She’s most likely just a simple person that is put in a position that she wasn’t prepared for and doesn’t want. She didn’t marry Trump to do good in the world or the United States. She’s was probably shocked that the country would elect him because it’s so unbelievably ridiculous. She’s an Eastern European and the racism of the birthers is probably less obvious to her. I think trying to hold her to the standards of other First Ladies is absurd, especially considering how Trump has lowered the standards of what it means to be president.
26
@Tim Phillips I agreed with everything you said.... until... you say that she probably didn't understand the racism of birtherism. Give me a break. Anyone who claimed Obama wasn't born here and was therefore not a legitimate president was nothing but racist. Don't be so gullible!
62
She is complicit in the criminality, lies and daily destruction to the country. she has sold her reputation and will be remembered no better than Eva Braun...who cares?
60
I wonder if she bothers to try justifying her own racism by her continued parroting of her husband's declaration that Barack Obama wasn't born in the US.
48
“Be Best?!” - All I hope for is “best be gone” from the White House in 2020, for both Melania and her despicable spouse.
75
I'm surprised by the number of commenters here who have mentioned Melania wearing the "I Don't Care" jacket to a hurricane visit.
She wore it to the Texas border to visit caged children.
58
@Anonymous
They're confusing it with the stilettos--that was Harvey. Appropriate wardrobe selection is certainly not among the 'genius' factors that got her an Einstein Visa or whatever.
15
The discussion starts and stops with the fact that Melania was
an enthusiastic birther.
2096
@PJW
yes, I clearly remember Melania sitting with djt while being interviewed by Barbara Walters, both of them discussing their disgusting birther views.
121
@PJW
Let’s not forget her lies about her education either. She’s a fraud, just like the conman she married.
139
She's also a birther. There. I fixed it for you.
53
Complicit.
46
Could it be that Melania is Donald's Russian handler?
82
@dee
Wow! Yes I've always thought so
10
What's there to say about a woman married to an ignorant, bloviating, narcissistic misogynist?
59
Well, at least she hasn't plagiarized any more speeches from Michelle Obama.
39
That Melania willingly chose to marry and remain with the depraved narcissist says it all. End of story.
45
And for all of this, Donald Trump still married up when he married Melania Knauss.
24
"Be best" is an ungrammatical plagarism of Michelle Obama's "Be Your Best" slogan. Sad.
57
Melania seems to me like someone just trying to live her life. She probably didn't want all this spotlight and doesn't relish it. I do, however, consider the position of First Lady as one of service to our country. Is she doing that? I don't know what service Melania provides the office of First Lady, or if she's any kind of diplomat or ambassador for our country as others have been. I'm not sure what she does to represent America at all. Perhaps her job is to stay out of the way, as her husband sucks the air out of every room anyway. Perhaps she is hoping Trump loses in 2020 so things can return to normal, just as many of the rest of us do. Who knows? And honestly, who cares? I don't. Do you?
15
Melania Trump is the epitome of the tsunami of hypocrisy that has nearly drowned us since her husband announced his candidacy.
The same people who were in a fury when Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless dress called Melania's far more revealing, and less family-friendly, photos "art." She was an undocumented immigrant herself (and her parents were the beneficiaries of "chain migration") and she sits silently while other immigrants are detained or worse. She was a "birther." That jacket while on a supposed compassionate visit? Purporting to fight cyberbullying when married to the most offensive cyberbully in history? Getting the very best medical care while being covered by insurance paid by taxpayers, while her husband is trying to tear coverage away from millions of people?
It goes on and on. She is as offensive a presence as her husband. That she is "first lady" is insulting.
229
Bennett’s theory about the “I don’t care” jacket is Byzantine and preposterous.
50
Yeah, I think the person who wrote this book wasted a heck of a lot of time. Because essentially it’s just her navel gazing and trying to figure out what message it is this fashion oracle (sarcasm intended) is trying to send. I think she was desperate to come up with a book, and tried way too hard to read depth into something that really just isn’t there. You are correct: Her declaration of what the jacket meant was absolutely ridiculous.
7
I’ll never forget the interview where she claimed she was probably ‘the most bullied person in the world.’
65
I'm interested to see if Melania writes a book when this mess is history.
Though if she wants Donald to read it, it better be a pop-up book.
22
Well, this was a waste of a precious click! But it did allow me to know that reading the actual book will be a waste of time, if these are the best nuggets.
What I'd really like to see is a journalist compare the public calendars of Melania Trump and Michelle Obama. Pick any week, any month, any year. Melania does absolutely nothing, less than the minimum. Barron is in school all day: what is Melania doing? You can't exercise and talk on the phone all day, can you?
42
@pamb I’d wager a good chunk of her day is spent in the
“ glam room”.
21
Melania was fully adult when she entered into her contract with Trump. She knew what she was getting and, presumably, so did he. The rest is their business.
11
Sorry, I still despise her.
43
It must be difficult to be her.
4
When John Kerry was running for president, the Republicans went on and on about how unacceptable it was that his wife had a foreign accent.
114
@Jason And Mrs. Kerry had real accomplishments - ran a huge empire - Heinz. And spoke fluent French (as did he). I'm so sick and tired of willful ignorance and bashing true intelligence.
60
Melania has made a beneficial business decision for herself and her son. The contract does not require her to say, wear, or do anything other than sleep in the WH, or another Trump-owned property, and attend public events with DT. Therefore, that is what she does and will continue to do until the contract expires. Anything else is speculation or Monday-morning quarter-backing. The book is speculation and a publication to pad out the author's C.V.
12
I will never understand why she wore that jacket.
24
In response to KMW from New York...Melania Trump as accomplished? What has she done actually? Early on in the Trump campaign, she had to remove the statement that she had a Bachelor of Arts degree from some Slovenian college. So she accomplished a lie. My daughters worked hard to get their degrees and Melania Trump just claiming she had a degree is an insult. Many women have done much more with a lot less.
62
Bennett seems somewhat sympathetic. This article makes no mention of another controversial outfit--the colonial era white blouse and khakis when she travelled to Africa.
14
It mentions the pith helmet. Maybe she thought it was a remake of Indiana Jones. I don’t know and I don’t care, do you?
3
@Mary M Since the article was by Egan (and her editors), we don't know whether Bennett mentioned this episode in her book.
I believe the First Lady wore the infamous “I really don’t care” jacket to intentionally agitate the media and the haters. I’m guessing she and her inner circle had a really good laugh when the papers and social media exploded with moral outrage at the first lady’s choice of clothing. This woman is no fool, she knows that she will be crucified no matter what she does, so why bother stepping up for some grand be brave-like initiative? I recall the years of George W...while routinely mocked, hated, stepped on and insulted, his wife and kids were treated with dignity and respect. A republican president and a republican First Lady. Do you get my point? Or is it just too juicy to criticize Melania because she’s not a librarian....really, people, get over yourselves.
4
@JB If only she were a librarian, everyone would overlook the birtherism, the chain migration, and everything else? I doubt it.
23
@JB If true, then she's as childish and callous as her husband.
16
@JB "so why bother stepping up for some grand be brave-like initiative?" How about because she has a bully pulpit and could do some good in the world. What is with you people. So small.
25
"I really don't care" pretty much sums up my regard for Melania Trump, and Barron for that matter. The rest of the family is noxious.
45
She's an interesting character.
I like that she didn't sign on to the unpaid, unwanted job as First Lady, and she hasn't played the game. Good for her.
I hope I live long enough to read a real account of her, many years from now.
9
@Sharon - Interesting? She's a shallow opportunist as well as a liar.
31
@Sharon She has certainly "played the game" to the extent of gladly accepting the perquisites associated with the position.
19
Melania is the female version of the Donald. She's right on board with him. She's an immigrant, but has shown very little compassion for other immigrants that aren't super models.
82
Melania Trump is not, nor ever has been, a “supermodel”. She was not a runway model, either.
10
I will be interested to see how this book's sales statistics compare with those of the book by her predecessor in the White House. Or is the Republican party machine prepared to buy up this book in bulk, the way they are doing with that book by DT Jr.?
26
@Piri Halasz, The book is an unauthorized biography. Melania had nothing to do with it.
5
All the more reason to wonder who if anybody will buy it.
5
Wearing a "I really don't care" jacket to a hurricane visit is nothing short of arrogant. I don't buy that she was sending a message to Ivanka. She had literally dozens of other opportunities and stages to do that. Going to visit a site of devastation is no time to settle your petty rivalries.
461
@PCW
Settling petty rivalries at massively inappropriate times (not to mention at the public's expense) is her husband's hallmark--why would she be any different?
25
@PCW Totally agree. She is very intelligent and knew what she was doing. I'd like to be more sympathetic, but that jacket changed my opinion of her.
8
Guess her husband hasn't fully absorbed her anti-cyber bullying campaign message.
40
I suggest that people, especially the highly educated readership of the New York Times, read this book and arrive at their own opinion rather than relying on these "takeaways."
2
Melania's subtle digs at people expressed by her clothing are petty compared to the destructiveness of her husband. Wearing a pants suit to annoy her husband doesn't exactly make her a soldier in the battle to create a better America.
113
That lock on his bedroom door, does it lock from the inside or the outside?
138
@Dr. G Brilliant question! If it is the latter, someone should hide the key ...
4
An inspiration to gold-diggers everywhere.
161
When looking at this woman my only thought is when is she and the rest of this family leaving the White House? The entire group is deplorable.
142
The whole family is reminiscent of Stalin's family in the movie, The Death of Stalin. All conniving, self centered, shallow and deeply disgusting.
130
Spot on. And their sycophants would do well to learn from history and educate themselves on what Stalin did to those who slighted him.
21
I come away from my reading of this article with an unexpected new adjective for Mrs. Trump: petty.
70
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Proverbs 13:20
"A man is judged by the company he keeps,
a company is judged by the men it keeps,
and the people of Democratic nations are judged by the type and caliber of officers they elect."
William H.J. Boetcker
A sad commentary on Melania and America.
55
They deserve each other.
60
The thing that bothered me most about "I really don't care" is the language. it's crass and not good role modeling for my kids.
Sure, it was done at a hurricane site, unnecessarily, but even if she wants to send a public message to Ivanka, do it another way.
27
Does she have any women of color on her staff? She could be championing the rights of immigrants as she speaks several languages including Russian which was required during her schooling years in Slovenia even though she does not admit it. I'm afraid her time as first lady has been a cipher in the national discussion. Trump needs her to bolster his image because she is photogenic, end of report!
22
@Phyllis Melone
There is no proof that she speaks French and Italian because on her trips to those countries she only said "Hello, my name is Melania. How are you?" and everything had to translate for her when she was speaking to children in the hospital. She never speaks to any adult in those languages. So she is not fluent in several languages. Her English is choppy and of a limited vocabulary.
29
I really don’t care. Do you?
Well, you shouldn’t. Focusing on Melania is a waste of bandwidth at a time when we have an existential threat at the helm of the country, in the form of a kompromised con man beholden to outside interests aimed at eroding our institutions, norms, and values.
Melania, like things such as her visa status or covfefe, is a distraction away from all the really bad stuff going on in plain sight. That is where our focus should remain.
60
There has been a certain reticence to comment critically on the unbelievable hypocrisy by which Trump used his money and power to bring and/or legitimate his migrant family members (not only his current in-laws, but his current wife) who came under highly questionable circumstances.
I can certainly sympathize with the principle of sparing a president's family members from the brunt of commentary. But if Trump has shown such cruel glee in blasting directly into the private affairs of other families whose members came under similar circumstances, why should commentary spare his own migrants?
86
Melania Trump is lovely. She conducts herself in a ladylike fashion. She is quiet and there is nothing wrong with that. There is a bit of mystery to Mrs. Trump and that makes her more interesting. I think there is a bit of jealously among the detractors. It is understandable. She has achieved more in her short life than most do in their lifetimes.
I will not be reading Kate Bennett's book. Why would I want to waste the money?
125
@KMW I'm assuming you are not pointing to her marriage to a wealthy and powerful man as an "achievement;" so what do you feel she has achieved?
771
@KMW She has achieved nothing of note other than getting here for vague career achievements, of which there is no evidence, she brought her family here and rather than appreciate the life she consciously created for herself and them, worked to undermine someone else for not being a "real" American man and enables someone who begrudges and preys upon other people, often in crises, who want to come here or live in peace. There is nothing graceful or elegant about that.
712
@KMW
First, Melania Trump is 50 years old--not exactly a short time in which to accomplish something. Most people have achieved something by that time of life. to date. Second, she has achieved almost nothing outside of having married a man who became president. She dropped out of college, modeled porn shots, was paid to attend parties and entertain the men, and then married a one of those men. Since her marriage she has had a child and her husband financed a line of cosmetics with her name on it. She has no known intellectual, artistic, or charitable interests. Not such an amazing list of accomplishments. To suggest that NYT readers--many with real achievements under their belts--are jealous is preposterous.
1526
As was widely suspected, so much for the Be Best program. Instead, call it Be Vague.
94
@The Buddy
I’d prefer Be Gone.
16
My guess is that her life in the White House has given her something to do beyond her son and her husband. It looks like a marriage that she takes on as a job, holding hands with her husband in public, dressing well, showing up where she is told to go. But beyond that there is no doubt in my mind, married to a narcissist will never be a marriage of intimacy or growth. We will never really know her. She made an enormous mistake wearing the Zara jacket.
56
The First Lady was in pain before surgery? Bet that she, unlike many other patients in pain now, had no trouble getting opioid pain-killers if she asked for them.
33
@trenton and all the medical care she needed, for free
44
@trenton
And free health care.
27
@trenton It could have been a teachable moment...Kidney problems are serious. Maybe she could have done a PSA...but no....just more pretending from the Trump cabal.
26
I cannot feel sorry for her or think for a moment she needs to be freed. She knew what she was taking on and more when she married Trump. She may be far more transactional than Trump. As for a First Lady? Michelle Obama's, "Let's Move," campaign, her garden where she planted and harvested food with children, her passion for kids to be healthy, and her commitment to President Obama's policies and her family were most admirable. The criticism she received was far more vicious, and yes, many times, racist. She rose above it all.
274
Thank you for reading this book, so we don't have to.
135
I suppose we all see what we want to see. I am glad she no longer does nude photoshoots, and mostly keeps quiet and out of the public eye. Her cyber bulling campaign is laughable in its lack of effectiveness. I can’t quite figure out if she is oblivious to her husband’s behavior online. Maybe she only see the attacks on him and her project is intended to show she is willing to fight for him. Or, conversely, her chosen project is intended as a statement against Donald’s behavior, and therefore doesn’t need to do much else. Either of these options might explain why her project seems to be mostly a announcement of concern with little actual action. The third option, that she really wanted to do something for the U.S., is a sad one, considering the lack of concrete goals and how the project seems to make no measurable progress.
48
What is so telling and disturbing to me is that even compared to the last four First Ladies-Michelle, Laura, Hillary, Barbara- Mrs Trump appears to be floundering as a role model for our nation's young men and women.
After almost 3 years in the White House Melania seems willing to give only, at best, half hearted support for organizing any type of an effective campaign to help with this nation's myriad worthy causes which could impact the welfare of this countries young people, including: Earlier intervention for helping to stem the opioid epidemic among young people, working to helping to assure all children gain access to affordable health care, prevention of the growing problem of hunger and homelessness among children, organizing value-free and effective methods to stop unwanted pregnancy among young girls, just to name a few.
49
@birddog Has anybody in Trump's family done anything positive? Has Jared gotten the Middle East peace plan finished? Has Ivanka done anything besides get dozens of patents and copyrights in China? Has Melania made a dent in bullying? The only one who has accomplished anything is Trump and he's accomplished the degradation of the United States.
33
Her "Be Best" initiative has little influence, when on a daily basis, her husband gives the rebuttal.
60
In this case she is the President's wife and no one should care what she is up to. It is a shame that people continue to attack her on several fronts. In an era where divorce is an easy play she has maintained a family with a man who has two divorces under his belt.
I don't know Melania and nor does anyone responding to these comments. This book and any of falling into the category of unauthorized biographies are not worth being printed. Who would want to read a book that might have a fact or something close to a fact alongside 100's of pages of opinion.
8
@Jim
She has an official office in the WH, a staff, and a lavish budget to fly around the country and the world to represent the American people. She also enjoys numerous perks paid for by the taxpayer, such as a professional chef and round the clock security detail. We certainly are entitled to pay attention to what she is and is not doing in our name. If she doesn't wish to do anything, then she should close the office, let the staff go, and remain out of the public eye altogether.
57
@Jim I hope you defended Michelle Obama with equal vehemence.
25
@Jim :Unfortunately, she is living on my dime and she represents my country. She needs to pay back all the money she spends flying to Florida for a spa visit, etc. Her lazy criminal husband can pay back all the money he spends to golf and all the money he takes from charities, etc.
26
The pure irony of the First Lady’s support of the Birther Movement while receiving an Einstein VISA leads me to conclude, “I really don’t care, do you?”
95
@GGram Impossible to keep a straight face when you see her name in the same sentence as "Einstein Visa"
63
@rprp2 When people call me "Einstein", I sometimes wonder whether they are calling me stupid or something...
9
@GGram. Maybe it's a Visa card
5
The trumps seem like the real-life embodiment of Tony and Carmela Soprano. I once had hope for Carmela, along the lines of Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Married to the Mob, but ultimately she couldn't pull it off. I see Melania as pretty much the same. Some people can be bought.
Their lives are built on lies. What must it be like to live like that?
88
None of this makes me feel inclined to read the book.
22
Let's not forget that Melania was also a birther that perpetuated the lie, willingly. She is complicit.
108
I heard on a newscast this morning that there is a "BE BEST" ornament made from Scrabble tiles on one of the White House Christmas trees...
11
@Molly Bloom
Only 10 points for that one...and a waste of a blank tile, too.
8
the only thing I need to know about her is her attempt to spread the Birther bit on national tv. she and trump are well matched.
79
She squandered her time and position as the First Lady... To me it seemed like an obvious fit: she could have done some really great work towards raising awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorders. It could have been the one good thing to come out of this whole mess of an administration. Be Best - What a waste.
56
@jbg that would be unimaginable
2
I'm waiting to see her income tax return.
61
@Harpo agreed
and the prenup - that's got to be one heckuva read
28
@Harpo Thank you! I needed a laugh this morning!
9
Yes, as noted in yesterday’s lead story, all undocumented immigrants do not come in through the southern border. Some even manage to get an Einstein Visa in order to stay. How fortunate we are to have not one but two geniuses in the White House.
123
This book's a hard pass for me. I'd rather wait for the sequel: "We All Miss Michelle."
80
They should have titled the book, "I don't care, do you?".
She deserves neither a book nor an article. One of the least interesting people alive and certainly not worthy of any sort of admiration.
132
@Bob Incredibly well stated!!
16
Who is Melania? What immediately comes to mind is that photo of herself, Trump, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell – the four of them - oh so smug, entitled, rich and beautiful - the world at their doorstep. Yes, that’s what she bought into, a lavish life of parties, money, celebrity.
No longer that party girl who was lucky enough to catch the eye of Trump. Instead of good times it’s probably been a nightmare for years. Many believe that her marriage to Trump shows a serious lapse in her judgement and discredits her as a sympathetic figure.
Is she ashamed of what her husband has been doing? Probably, but she has a son, she has to carry on. How people adapt and change with adversity is something one can’t predict. She’s keeping her head above water but, aside from Baron, to tolerate Trump’s family in her face all the time must be the worst thing imaginable.
39
Bennet's book about MT probably says more about the author than her elusive subject. It seems to embody celebrity gossip at its worst - idle speculation, hype and obsessiveness. What an abhorrent way of wasting a couple of hours.
12
Please donate any money you were planning to spend on this book to a charity. There is nothing you need to know about this woman other than that she married Trump.
131
"“She is the only one who can say what she thinks to his face.” well bravo. That it?
20
Melania will never, never hold a candle to Michelle. The same goes for Donald. Barack was/is leagues ahead of him, and the irony is Donald will never be able to figure out why.
134
Thanks for the 6-point snapshot of this book, NYT. Now that I have absorbed its full content in one brief article -- much like you can size up the apparent persona of the current Mrs. Trump -- I can skip it. You've done us all a public service.
29
@JTS It's 5 more points than Melania deserves.
6
It might be this or it could be that, it might mean something or it might mean nothing at all. Amazing insight. And who cares if she gets along with Ivanka, Mrs. Pence, or Trump himself. She knew exactly what she was getting into and by being a silent sufferer she's as complicit as anyone in that administration. I have zero empathy or sympathy for her or her situation.
1625
@Tom Scott
or curiosity..
18
@Tom Scott I concur with your points, except for the silent sufferer bit. Preferring to remain complicitly situated in that 1% manner of living is quite telling.
31
@Tom Scott I find it interesting to think that Mrs. Trump doesn't like Ivanka or Mrs Pence. I also see nothing likable about them.
57
I don’t judge Melania because she grew up in the Soviet Union, and I know from personal exposure to that culture twenty-five years later that she may have made the wisest choices available to her at the time.
47
@Flânuese She's from Slovenia, not the Soviet Union. It was once part of Yugoslavia befoe that amalgamation fractured.
51
@Flânuese "At the time". Maybe, maybe not. But what about right here, right now? No excuses
31
@Flânuese
Melania grew up in Slovenia, not in the Soviet Union.
10
How is her anti-bullying campaign going? I haven’t heard anything about it but we all see the deluge of abhorrent texts emanating from the Oval Office on a daily basis.
One would have to conclude that the First Lady has had no more success in achieving her goal than her husband, unless his goal was to destroy our nation. Bannon may yet get the last laugh.
175
@D. Ben Moshe
It sounds like she was just short of bullying Karen Pence. That little anecdote certainly didn’t do much to improve her image for me.
5
Sounds like a horrible book.
113
@Roby it will sell better than Don Jrs...you can be sure.
6
@Roby
About a horrible person.
6
All this article did was increase my dislike for both Melania and Ivanka.
And if Melania's "I don't really care, do u?" parka was aimed at Ivanka, it shows just what a pathetic, shallow person she is--willing to insult people impacted by a terrible tragedy to make a point like a child.
This grotesque family cannot be gone from the White House soon enough.
1357
@Panthiest
Grotesque hits the nail right on the head
61
@Panthiest I don’t really care, do u?
5
@Panthiest It is hard to believe that Melania's jacket was aimed at Ivanka. If it was, she made a deplorable and inexcusable choice to wear it when going down to visit immigrants kept in cages.
992
The rats on this ship will drown together. Hubris is the only thing keeping them deluded into thinking it won't happen. Melania is just as twisted as he is. She's told us everything we need to know about her. Remember that she is a birther. Remember that she wore that jacket on the way to see kids in cages. Let's let go of the fantasy that she is any different than the other Trump bigots and grifters.
771
I discounted Mrs. Trump from the moment she repeated her idiot husband’s lie about the birthplace of President Obama. I wonder if the referenced lock on Don’s bedroom door is designed to keep others out or him in.
316
Based on this article, the book doesn't seem to reveal anything new about Melania Trump. She is a cipher who's mute presence can be interpreted in multiple ways. I think we can all agree on one thing though; she's not particularity inspiring as a first lady, and at best, her clothing is what stands out about her.
326
@ Kelly
First Ladies may not receive a paycheck but they are surely not “unpaid.” The perks which include first-class housing, travel, meals, entertainment and a staff with an ample budget more than make up for the lack of a paycheck.
253
Just the perks like any other person having a wealthy spouse. Public responsibilities such as leading calisthenics or advocating the refusal of illegal drugs should be optional and not forced.
2
I'm no fan of the Trumps, but I don't think Melania ever wanted to come to DC.
Neither of them expected to end up in the WH, and I seriously doubt that Donald ever asked her opinion on the matter.
And none of 45's problems are her fault.
She probably feels like Garbo, and just wants to be let alone.
55
@EK,
apparently she cried when they found out he won the electoral college.
9
@EK I don't think she wanted this, either. But she knew what she was getting into with that poor excuse for a husband. The only person in that whole despicable clan that I feel for is Barron.
49
@EK It's clear Melania doesn't want to be FLOTUS. But there is something to be said for making the best of a situation. She could have thrown herself into Be Best, made something of it. She doesn't want to. She could have made a true name for herself, instead she does nothing.
48
Kate Bennett's unauthorized biography about Melania Trump will appeal to the Trump haters. Who revealed the intimate details of Mrs. Trump's life? There must have been an inside leaker who "dished the dirt" about her. I highly doubt that Ms. Bennett will be part of the press corp at the White House now that this book is out. She certainly will not be welcomed I am sure. This book like many others about the Trumps will eventfully fade away and be forgotten. We can only hope.
8
@KMW
Yes, we can only hope that the whole Trump travesty on our nation with fade away and be forgotten.
36
@KMW surely an apologist
7
@KMW l live in hope that they fade soon.
14
HE has a lock on his bedroom door? I really thought it would be the other way around.
750
@Eva Lockhart
Maybe they're locking him in.
66
@Eva Lockhart We don't know that she also doesn't have a lock on her door. But yes.
28
@Eva Lockhart
Too bad this isn't Facebook. Your comment deserves the 'haha' emoji instead of just a 'recommend'.
29
There are so many qualifications in the “takeaways” it is a bit ridiculous.
Add this to the list of books I will NOT read, which includes whatever Anonymous wrote.
36
@Joanne Deliberate ignorance will change nothing.
50
@shep Wasting precious moments of my life reading about Mel? Hardly ignorant!
4
@Shep I disagree. The Trumps are deliberately ignorant and look at how much they have changed.
6
the emptiness of the collective trump soul reverberates throughout time....
200
She’s married to Donald. That says it all.
588
I'm curious, but......
I really don't care.
323
One really gets some insight into the gratuitous meanness of folks on the left when one hears them, or reads them, reacting to and passing judgment on Melania.
13
@Richard Morse
She is a public figure, and one who has enormous influence on this most despicable of men. Her actions matter; she is not immune to observation and/or criticism.
By the way, what is or was your position on Michelle Obama?? That would tell us a lot.
643
@Richard Morse
So where were you when Michelle Obama was being called a simian or shamed for exposing her bare arms?
Republicans seem to find professional woman such as Hillary or Michelle deplorable but embrace a woman whose job occasionally called for her to remove her clothes and be photographed.
1235
Funny comment given that gratuitous meanness seems to be baked into the Republican psyche.
211
"Be Best" is obviously the name of the sitcom she is starring in.
316
Can Congress demand to see the prenup? That might explain a lot.
278
What an interesting piece. Doesn't bode well for the book.
10
To quote her jacket, "I really don’t care" about Melania Trump in the least bit.
789
I'd be more interested in her reaction to giving a plagiarized speech after claiming "I wrote it myself" in a Fox interview.
965
@Debra bingo
34
The "I really don't care" jacket is really Melania's defining moment. It was inexcusable. It showcased her shallow, petty, undignified, impetuous and selfish perspective.
Although, maybe another defining element is Melania's stunning hypocrisy: she and her parents emigrated with dubious "merit", while denying others the same prospect.
1576
He opposes chain migration, except for Melanie’s parents.
262
@LRS It has nothing to do with color, but many have chosen to deflect to color. If we are going to let anyone in it has to be done lawfully with thought given to who we let in. I am for letting more people in and we already have a process. It involves pesky paperwork and interviews and is nowhere near as convenient as waltzing in across the southern border.
As it stands we have too many people in the world and in the US and there is no hope for addressing climate change as more people means more resources. You can't stop a flood when 2 gallons are coming in for every gallon pumped out, which is where we are at.
8
@Jim And how do you propose to eliminate the excess population? This was exactly Scrooge's opening view of humanity. The US isn't remotely "full"; you should visit places that are truly densely populated.
20
I think I can explain the comma in the title of the book. It's the answer she gets when she shops for her absurdly expensive clothes. She points to a $50,000 jacket or $5000 handbag and asks the designer how much she has to pay for it. The designer replies: "For you, it's 'free, Melania'."
540
@cds333
This comment actually made me laugh out loud. Thanks!
116
@cds333 And the sequel (published in late 2020) will be 'You Are Free, Melania!'
29
Good one!
9
I struggle with the role of the First Lady. Typically, the role of the First Lady has been a full-time job that is unpaid. And why should a spouse have a role if the spouse wasn't elected and didn't run?
On the other hand, it is an enormous opportunity to be a force of good. And every other First Lady has taken the opportunity to do some good, to be that positive force. Except Melania.
Here is a woman who immigrated to the U.S. and has brought her family. She has reaped every single reward that there is to reap in the U.S. And she sits in our White House doing nothing. Contributing nothing.
It rankles.
1768
@Kelly
Except buying and wearing incredibly expensive and inappropriate clothing.
320
@Kelly
I agree. I noticed that the Republicans stopped with the mule migration talk when her parents were being mule-migrationed in to citizenship. I bet they are receiving Medi-Care without ever having paid into it.
380
@FerCry'nTears I do not know what health insurance her parents have but her Mom was being treated for a major illness at a major Manhattan hospital.
50
Among the more useless things in this world, this will rate high.
272
@Joe Gagen: Do you have some information the author doesn't about a "framework, timeline or markers for progress" that the author doesn't? I'm sure we'd all love to know. Please share!
4
@Joe Gagen The only first lady's initiative that is "more show than substance" is the very one you praise. The Be Best initiative has done exactly nothing to diminish cyber bullying because it is a total farce. There is no bigger cyber bully than Melania's husband, who routinely uses Twitter to disparage women, the other abled, immigrants, and anyone who dares to expose the abject corruption of this administration. Melania and her so-called initiative are the laughing stock of Washington because everybody knows she "doesn't care"- just as she advertised on her jacket.
37
@Joe Gagen: Do you have some information the author doesn't about a "framework, timeline or markers for progress" for the "Be Best" campaign? I'm sure we'd all love to know. Please share!
14