Melania reminded of Trump's racist conspiracy theory about Obama after posting Juneteenth video: 'Ok, birther'
Although Melania Trump tried her best to appease the African-American community by posting a video on Juneteenth of her reading a picture book, 'All Different Now' by Angela Johnson, and stressing the fact that "we are one global community," social media users were quick to slam her for staying silent over the birther conspiracy, popularized by her husband in the past.
"Today we celebrate #Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. In honor of today, I would like to share the story 'All Different Now' by Angela Johnson, which sheds a light on the first Juneteenth through the eyes of a young girl," Melania's video, which was posted on her official Twitter account, was captioned. In the clip, the first lady was seen sitting on an upholstered bench in front of tall windows with gold curtains and flanked on either side by tall, gilded standing chandeliers.
"As our country works through the racial issues that we still face today, it is important to remember we are one global community," she said as she urged Americans to "all agree that any differences we have should be celebrated, and learned from." Although she did not specify it, her words seem to allude to the Black Lives Matter protests that have sparked across the country after George Floyd's death under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
The mother-of-one also recalled her first solo international trip to Africa in October 2018. "Today I will be thinking about my trip to Ghana, Africa, where I was so moved to take a tour of The House of Slaves and step through The Door of no Return, a memorial to the Atlantic slave trade," Trump said as pictures of her during the Ghana tour were incorporated in the video.
"My hope for everyone today is that by understanding and reflecting upon even the worst part of our country’s past, we can commit to lifting each other up and celebrating the freedom we all deserve," she said before shifting her focus to the book in her hand.
However, people who came across her post could not help but criticize the fact that Melania had rarely been vocal against racism in the past, including the time when President Trump embraced the "birther" conspiracy theory, which involved the false claim that the nation's first black president, Barack Obama, was born in Kenya instead of the United States.
"Sorry, but you have absolutely no credibility. You can’t spout birther garbage and then pretend to care about racial issues. Nope," said one user, while another wrote, "Ok, birther. As a side note... why does every image of you look like it is set in a horror movie?" A third wrote: "You’re married to the Racist-in-Chief. And you’re a birther. “I really don’t care, do you?” #Melania #Trump #JUNETEENTH2020"
A fourth quipped: "As a birther you need to really stay silent on this issue." A fifth commented: "Um Thanks so much for this empty moment. Did you fulfill your contract duties for today? I’d be nicer if you weren’t a birther."