Melania is an 'exceptional First Lady' but treated 'unfairly' by liberal media, says ex-Rep Jason Chaffetz
In a new op-ed penned on Fox News, former US Rep Jason Chafetz has claimed that Melania Trump has been an outstanding First Lady in the last four years, but the liberal media has treated her 'poorly'. The 631-word open letter published on the news platform's website on Saturday, December 19, sees Chaffetz defend the first lady on how she couldn't even dream of getting the kind of 'fawning' that media has showered President-elect Joe Biden's wife, Dr Jill Biden with.
Chaffetz, who served as the US Representative for Utah's 3rd congressional district from 2009 until his retirement in 2017, began the op-ed writing: "In her four years of outstanding service as America's first lady, Melania Trump could never dream of receiving the fawning media coverage now being showered upon Jill Biden, who will become our next first lady January 20 unless President Trump succeeds in overturning the Electoral College vote selecting Joe Biden as president."
Claiming how Melania deserves to be recognized for all she has done so far, he wrote: "Mrs Trump deserves to be recognized as an exceptional first lady. With little fanfare and tremendous pushback from some of the most vocal segments of society, she managed to launch a successful anti-bullying campaign, conduct important outreach abroad, protect her teenage son from relentless bullying, and serve as an inspiration to those trying to integrate into American culture. All without making any major missteps."
Chaffetz expressed how it saddens him to see the media attention that was showered instead on Melania. "I find it sad that an unscrupulous liberal media treated Mrs. Trump so unfairly compared to their obsequious coverage of former first lady Michelle Obama and now Jill Biden. Even traditionally nonpolitical outlets ignored Mrs. Trump and dismissed her," he pens.
The former Rep then addresses the first lady's past profession as a model. He writes: "Despite her successful career as a fashion model, we didn't get the barrage of stories about Mrs. Trump’s wardrobe choices that bombarded us when Michelle Obama was first lady. Many didn't miss such coverage, but the discrepancy is telling. Mrs. Trump's 'Be Best' campaign confronted some of the most challenging issues facing children today, highlighting three important pillars: wellbeing, online safety and opioid abuse."
He also notes Melania's earnest attempt at drawing attention to the norm that has been instated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the rise of virtual schooling, and the outbreaks of violence in some American cities over the last year, these issues needed and deserved the attention brought by the first lady. This effort, in combination with good public policy from the Trump administration, coincided with a drop in drug overdose deaths and an increase in life expectancy." He adds: "In her travels at home and across the globe, Mrs. Trump has demonstrated compassion, kindness and diplomacy. She has visited schools and hospitals, made a positive impression on foreign leaders, and exemplified beauty and grace."
Chaffetz also addressed the way Melania has mothered her and the president's teenage son Baron amidst the new normal. "By all accounts the first lady has been a wonderful mother in a most difficult situation. The children of American presidents live in a bubble most of us can't fathom, with a lack of mobility few teenagers would covet. Mrs. Trump has had to raise a teenage son under pressure and in the spotlight. But the Trump family, in particular, has faced heightened criticism and scrutiny from an overwhelmingly hostile press that has almost always sought the negative side of every story."
Calling the media coverage a 'missed opportunity', Chafetz then stresses Melania's immigrant status and how far she's come from where she had started off. "The unfair and biased coverage of Melania Trump is a missed opportunity. Having a first lady who is herself an immigrant, who speaks five languages, and who comes from far outside the elite circles of government is a story that exemplifies the American experiment," he writes, adding: "Had this first lady been the wife of a Democratic president, the media would have been clamoring to tell her story and to get her commentary an array of issues."
Chaffetz also notes Melania's 'few missteps' during her four-year-long role as the first lady. "Mrs Trump made few missteps during her tenure. Perhaps the biggest controversy came when a disloyal former staffer released recordings of a private conversation in which the first lady was heard complaining that policy issues should be more important than decorating the White House Christmas tree. Though much of the media treated this as a scandal, it was hardly that," he writes, excusing all of that by noting: "Mrs Trump was understandably frustrated with a media that criticized her for the failings of her husband's predecessor, blaming her for family separation policies instituted by President Barack Obama based on laws the Democratic House of Representatives refused to change."
Chaffetz concludes his defense of the Frist Lady, writing: "Throughout the past four years, Melania Trump has never been given the same benefit of the doubt enjoyed by previous first ladies. The mocking, cajoling and lack of respect by the left-wing media and opponents of the president have been shameful and undeserving. Mrs Trump leaves behind a legacy as a classy and compassionate first lady who was deserving of the respect owed to the office."