Melania Trump Continues Her White House Legacy: Bitter and Petty as Ever

Be best.

Fox News

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Save for a few tacky NFTs that no one wanted to buy, things have been relatively quiet for Melania Trump since her husband lost the 2020 presidential election. But, surprise, a return to private life does not appear to have given way to much self-reflection. In fact, as evidenced in her first television interview since leaving the White House, the former first lady proved as bitter as ever, taking shots at Vogue and complaining about the state of the country.

“With your business background, your fashion background, and your beauty—never on the cover of Vogue,” Fox News host Pete Hegseth asked, pointing to the covers of Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, and Michelle Obama as apparent evidence that the media had been unfair to her. “Why the double standard?” 

“They have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious,” Trump answered, indirectly accusing longtime editor Anna Wintour of being “biased” for never putting her on the cover while she was the first lady. Trump then claimed that she had “more important” issues to tend to during her time in the White House, which, of course, is dubious; Trump was largely seen as an absent first lady, even bored at the notion of public duty. And it remains unclear what, if anything, was ever done with her non-ironic anti-bullying campaign, “Be Best.” 

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump lamented over the “sad” state of the country under President Biden. “A lot of people are struggling and suffering,” Trump said. “It’s very sad to see and I hope it changes fast.” She also made sure to plug her NFT ventures. “My NFTs, they are available on MelaniaTrump.com and USMemorabilia.com.”

As for a potential return to the White House, “Never say never,” Trump appeared to tease. Downright chilling stuff.

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do things differently in the aftermath of a political crisis: Watergate. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after, and go deep on, stories others don’t. And we’re a nonprofit newsroom because we knew corporations and billionaires would never fund the journalism we do. Our reporting makes a difference in policies and people’s lives changed.

And we need your support like never before to vigorously fight back against the existential threats American democracy and journalism face. We’re running behind our online fundraising targets and urgently need all hands on deck right now. We can’t afford to come up short—we have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

Please help with a donation today if you can—even just a few bucks helps. Not ready to donate but interested in our work? Sign up for our Daily newsletter to stay well-informed—and see what makes our people-powered, not profit-driven, journalism special.

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