O’Brien: Melania Trump has a bully-in-chief problem
“Nothing could be more urgent nor worthy a cause than preparing future generations for the adulthood with true moral clarity and responsibility.” - Melania Trump
The first lady spoke Wednesday at a United Nations luncheon in New York. Since she rarely gives public speeches - and since it was the U.N. - it instantly turned into an event.
It's never entirely clear how she feels about speaking at major events such as this: Does she relish the public aspects of being first lady or loathe them? It may be a bit of both, but Wednesday's address certainly reaffirmed themes she's outlined before during the political rise of the House of Trump: the need to model exemplary behavior for children, the degradation of bullying and the added and potentially ubiquitous perils of bullying on social media.
Campaigning in Pennsylvania several days before her husband won the presidential election last year, she described the moral cleansing Donald Trump would bring to the world.
“He pledges to restore integrity for Washington and respect for America abroad,” she said. “Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially to children and teenagers. We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other. We must find better ways to honor and support the basic goodness of our children, especially in social media.”
At the U.N. on Wednesday, she supplemented her anti-bullying message with a reference to one of the most central lessons of the Bible. “I hope you will join me in recommitting ourselves to teaching the next generation to live by and honor the Golden Rule,” she said. “It remains our generation's moral imperative to take responsibility for what our children learn. We must turn our focus right now to the message and content they are exposed to on a daily basis through social media - the bullying.”
Looming over her appeal, however, was her husband's own social media feeds. It's easy pickings to surf through the president's Twitter feed for things that run contrary to the first lady's call for civic comportment and respectful, constructive dialogue. It's also worth noting that Donald Trump's firehose of abuse isn't just locker room talk. He has carved out some very specific categories that he likes to revisit, serially, as he engages in drive-by hits.
For example, on Twitter he likes to ritually slam his detractors on holidays, those solemn times of peace and good will toward all:
“I wish everyone, including the haters and losers, a very happy Easter!” - April 5, 2015
“I would like to wish all fathers, even the haters and losers, a very happy Fathers Day.” - June 14, 2014
“Happy Thanksgiving to all - even the haters and losers!” - Nov. 27, 2013
He reserves special bile for celebrities, the media and competitors:
“Rosie is crude, rude, obnoxious and dumb - other than that I like her very much!” - July 11, 2014
“Just heard that crazy and very dumb morningmika had a mental breakdown while talking about me on the low ratings Morning-Joe. Joe a mess!” - Sept. 2, 2016, about Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, co-hosts of MSNBC “Morning Joe”
“What a waste of time being interviewed by andersoncooper when he puts on really stupid talking heads like Tim O'Brien-dumb guy with no clue!” - July 23, 2015, about TV journalist Cooper and myself
“Major League Baseball was really smart when they wouldn't let Mark Cuban buy a team. Was it his financials or the fact that he's an a-hole?” - April 5, 2014, about businessman and investor Cuban
“Stupid George Will gave MittRomney no chance 3 months ago. Take off his little spectacles and he's just another dummy.” - Oct. 17, 2012, about conservative columnist George Will
He really likes to zap other politicians and went out of his way to assail his predecessor in the White House:
“Lightweight choker Marco Rubio looks like a little boy on stage. Not presidential material!” - Feb. 26, 2016, about the Republican senator from Florida
“Goofy Elizabeth Warren is now using the woman's card like her friend crooked Hillary. See her dumb tweet “when a woman stands up to you.” - May 11, 2016, about the Democratic senator from Massachusetts and his rival candidate, Hillary Clinton
“The last thing our country needs is another BUSH! Dumb as a rock!” - Dec. 18, 2015, about rival Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida
“Our President is a great embarrassment to the U.S. How could anybody be so dumb or know so little as to make the very stupid 5 for 1 swap?” - June 3, 2014, about President Barack Obama
“Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!” - March 22, 2016, about the Republican senator from Texas
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