Why hating Melania Trump could make you a hypocrite

Source: thecut.com

Since Donald Trump launched his Presidential Campaign back in 2016, Melania Trump has been kept in her husband’s shadow for majority of the time. Except for when she is so viciously shamed. Yes, her choice in husband is not the best to say the least. Yes, she has often dismissed her husband’s sexism as merely “boy talk”. But does hurling shameful comments and threats towards her make you any better?

Now she is seen as the woman perched on Donald Trump’s shoulder, but before all of this, Melania was a model. This came at a price, however. In attempts to dig at President Trump, Melania’s nude modelling photos, taken in her 20s, have frequently been plastered across newspapers worldwide. In effect saying, “How could any First Lady of ours have behaved like that?” People have used these photos to dismiss her as some type of trophy wife at her husband’s disposal. She has become a “thing”, an “accessory” to Donald, rather than her own person.

Another significant event, in which people have attacked/ridiculed Melania, was Gigi Hadid’s impression of the First Lady during the 2016 American Music Awards.

“I love my husband, President Barack Obama and our children Sasha and Malia,” Hadid said through an exaggerated pout and Eastern European accent. She added that had been working hard all week to “get her face right.”

Source: metro.co.uk

Her impression was met with laughter and applause in the crowd but viewers at home responded with shock, many saying that this was completely inappropriate, especially as both of Hadid’s parents are also immigrants.

Perhaps it’s time to stop using Melania Trump as a way of attacking President Trump, despite how much we may despise and disagree with everything that comes out of his mouth, and start treating her as her own person, accountable for her own actions. Look at their Twitter accounts for example. Melania Trump has tweeted four times this week to encourage her followers to continue to donate to victims of recent hurricanes and has addressed her appreciation of Humanitarian Aid worldwide. President Trump, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to know when or what to tweet, rather using it like a bored teenager and posting multiple times a day. Just 15 hours ago, he criticised Hilary Clinton on the money she spent as part of her Presidential Campaign but has failed to encourage hurricane donations like his wife.

Melania seems to know how and when to use her platform positively, so let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about how often she has talked about tackling online bullying, despite her husband being one of the biggest bullies online. Let’s talk about the fact that she can speak six languages despite being an ‘immigrant’. Why are we so adamant on ignoring the actions she takes independently? Why is it that her appearance, accent and former career are being used as a way to attack her husband? Surely Trump's politics, blatant sexism and obvious racism should be enough for one to criticise him.

Sure, you may argue that she shouldn’t have married Trump and that she knew what she was getting into, and yes, who we choose to associate ourselves with can speak volumes about our own character but equally, it is wrong to judge Melania Trump by her accent, her money, her body and her questionable taste in life partner. She deserves to be judged on her own accord, by her own actions and not as an extension of her husband.

The majority of us hate the way Trump degrades women to objects, but slut shaming his wife is, in effect, doing the same thing. Defending Melania Trump from being wrongfully ridiculed does not mean you are defending Donald Trump and you can certainly be anti-Trump without shaming the First Lady.

Thank you for reading!
Aman