Melania Trump slammed for preaching about online safety amid coronavirus outbreak: 'Could you check on Donny?'
Melania Trump was slammed on Twitter after she urged parents to ensure that children had access to only safe online content as they spend an increasing amount of time browsing the internet while being confined to their homes amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Furthering one of the primary objectives of her "Be Best" campaign, the first lady decided to remind parents on Thursday, March 26, that it was important for them to check up on the kind of language and content that minors were coming across on social media. "While most children are at home during this challenging time, they tend to be on social media throughout the day. Parents, please be sure to check on them regularly to be sure they’re practicing online safety," she tweeted.
The mother-of-one has often been criticized in the past for her anti-cyberbullying campaign, while her own husband had zero filters when it came to drafting tweets and often ended up using derogatory language and slang words on social media. It was no different this time around as Twitterati flooded the comments section with angry posts.
"Yes, I agree children should not be online all day, never healthy for anyone. Could you please check on your big orange child and make sure he's not on the internet all day long.. thanks #BeBest" one wrote, while another said, Could you check on Donny? He is constantly engaging in online bullying and disinformation. Responsibility needs to be taught! Remember #BeBest Melania? It was an epic fail, when you are saying do as I say but not how my family does!"
A third quipped: "Yes. I am checking very diligently that they do not go anywhere near the most toxic accounts on social media. I talk to them constantly about how bullying is wrong, and name-calling is bad. I want my kids to be safe. So, I don’t let them see your husband’s nasty bullying tweets."
A fourth user commented: “Yes, check on your child, Melania. He’s in the Oval Office tweeting hatred for mankind. He may just win the biggest bully of the year."
However, a number of Trump supporters spoke up in favor of Melania's message. "We love you Flotus. Stay well and safe. My husband and I pray daily for you and family . We vote Trump and Pence 2020 love and prayers," one wrote while another said, "Thank you for the reminder First Lady, as the internet is not the best babysitter and there are many things on the internet that not age-appropriate!"
Back in 2018, while wrapping up her first international tour as the first lady in Giza, Egypt, Melania admitted in an interview that she did not always agree with everything that her husband said, Glamour reported.
"Well, I don’t always agree with what he thinks, and I tell him that. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t," she said, adding that in the end, the president basically did what he felt like.
She also wanted to make it clear that she has her "own voice and... opinions and it’s very important for me that I express what I feel."