Melania comes under fire for attending White House hurricane meeting with Trump: 'Who made you an expert?
First Lady Melania Trump came under fire from social media users after she posted photos of her attending a White House meeting with her husband, President Donald Trump, and Vice President Mike Pence, about the nation's preparation for hurricane season as people questioned her lack of expertise on the matter.
"Very informative briefing with @POTUS, @VP, @DHSgov, @fema, & @NOAA on the forecast, overview and risks for the 2020 hurricane season, including considerations for response and recovery during #COVID19. Make sure you and your family are prepared for the season," Melania wrote. She was seen sitting in a chair beside the president's desk, listening intently at experts in the room.
The first lady did not elaborate on what was discussed in the meeting or whether she gave any input on the matter. As soon as her post went live, people took to her comments section to criticize the mother-of-one for attending the meeting. "Are you now an advisor to POTUS? Why are you in these briefings? What are your qualifications to be a part of this discussion?" one wrote.
Another wondered, "What purpose does it serve for you to be in this meeting? Who made you the expert on disaster preparedness? Was Jared busy?" Another user commented: "What is it with Trump women that every notice requires a photo with them as the central point?" One user simply asked, "Why on earth are you there?"
There was also someone who jokingly asked if Melania was in charge of the paper towels and another who called out Melania for not wearing a mask. The FLOTUS has been urging the public to wear a mask in public places while ignoring the same advice herself. "Where are your face masks? Seems I heard you stating these should be worn at all times in public," a person quipped after seeing photos of the meeting.
Despite criticisms, there were also those who appreciated Melania keeping herself updated on the ongoings of the White House. "Thank you @FLOTUS Florida has to be ready for hurricanes on top of everything else, way to go!!!" one wrote while another commented, "Thank you FLOTUS for taking the time to be involved!"
She was previously trolled for sending out a tweet mourning the loss of American lives due to the coronavirus pandemic while Trump went golfing on Saturday, May 23. "We mourn every life lost to #Covid19. We will pray for their families & loved ones on this somber day & always," she wrote on her official social media page on Sunday, a day after her husband was photographed on the golf course at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, accompanied by three others, even as the national death toll from the health crisis neared 100,000.
After the photos and videos of a maskless Trump playing golf went viral on Twitter, he received widespread backlash. Some of that criticism was also directed at Melania after she sent out the tweet. While one wrote, “What a useless@FLOTUS Melania is!!! Total loss to this country!!!” another commented, "Vote for Biden so Melania's unfaithful husband can golf."