Melania Trump adopts empathetic tone at Republican Party convention
First Lady says Americans ‘not proud’ of part of their history, but claims focus should be on the future
MELANIA TRUMP urged Americans to “pause” and consider things from other perspectives in a speech dominated by themes of sympathy and unity, in sharp contrast to others given during the Republican convention.
The US first lady addressed the struggle for racial equality, acknowledging Americans were “not proud” of aspects of the country’s history but also urging people to “stop the violence and looting” seen in recent months.
She also offered a message to those who have lost loved ones from coronavirus, saying they had her “deepest sympathy” and telling those impacted by the pandemic: “You are not alone.”
The tone of the speech, delivered on Tuesday night from the White House’s Rose Garden, was much more positive than the fierce attacks on the Democrats delivered by many speakers at this week’s Republican convention.
Mrs Trump did not once name Joe Biden, her husband’s rival for the election, saying: “I don’t want to use this precious time attacking the other side.”
The message of reaching for understanding drew praise from commentators on Right-leaning Fox News and Left-leaning CNN, and took on added weight as another night of violence played out in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Mrs Trump, a former model from Slovenia who is Mr Trump’s third wife, talked of her immigrant back story and praised her husband’s leadership, saying that “America is in his heart”.
But at one point she told mothers she understood how “mean and manipulative social media can be”, raising eyebrows given Mr Trump’s use of Twitter.
She also said: “We all know Donald Trump makes no secret about how he feels about things. Total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president. Whether you like it or not, you always know what he’s thinking.”
Mr Trump watched the speech from the front row of an audience of dozens, kissing his wife on the cheek at the end before they walked off hand-in-hand.
Tuesday night’s programming escalated the row about whether Mr Trump was breaking the Hatch Act, which stops government employees from participating in politics in their official capacity, given his use of the White House as a backdrop for the convention. Mr Trump appeared in one video inside the White House giving a full pardon for John Ponder, a bank robber turned prison reform activist who has befriended the FBI agent who arrested him. Trump campaign figures argued the pardon did not breach the rules.
Mrs Trump’s speech was her highest profile address since the 2016 convention, which prompted claims of plagiarism as parts were similar to a speech by former first lady Michelle Obama.
She said on racial tensions: “It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage people to focus on our future while still learning from our past.”
Later, she went on: “I would like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and look at things from all perspectives.
“I also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice. And never make assumptions based on the colour of a person’s skin. Instead of tearing things down, let’s reflect on our mistakes.”
Tiffany Trump, Mr Trump’s 26-yearold daughter, also gave a rare public address on Tuesday, claiming the media and big tech companies were keeping Americans “mentally enslaved”.