Melania Trump, the former First Lady of the United States, is set to make a rare public appearance at an event hosted by the National Archives and Records Administration. This announcement has garnered attention and criticism, given her low public profile since leaving the White House.
The event, scheduled for December 15, will feature Melania Trump as a special guest, providing remarks alongside Dr. Colleen Shogan, the Archivist of the United States.
The Bill of Rights Day function is a ceremony where 25 individuals from 25 different nations will be sworn in as new U.S. citizens. As a naturalized citizen herself, Melania Trump's participation in this event is notable. However, her choice of venue, the National Archives, has stirred controversy.
The Archives had previously demanded the return of top-secret documents taken from the White House by former President Donald Trump. This demand led to a search at Mar-A-Lago and the discovery of boxes of top-secret files, resulting in ongoing legal complications for the former president.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend and aide to Melania Trump, expressed her disapproval of Melania's planned appearance. Wolkoff, whose relationship with Melania soured after the publication of her memoir "Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady," criticized the former First Lady on social media.
The hypocrisy of Melania Trump hosting a naturalization event at the National Archives (where Donald is under investigation) is right up there with her so-called Be Best anti-bullying platform (where Donald is Bully #1). This is a strategic move on Donald & Melania’s part.… https://t.co/nkTBS0njz4 — Stephanie Winston Wolkoff (@SWinstonWolkoff) December 6, 2023
She highlighted the irony of Melania hosting a naturalization event at the National Archives, where Donald Trump is under investigation. Wolkoff accused Melania of being a "vessel of complicity & distraction," attempting to create a contrast from their reality.
The announcement of Melania Trump's public speech has piqued interest due to her infrequent public appearances and the unique circumstances of this event. Margaret Hartman of NY Mag described this move as "unusual" and "weird," given the backdrop of the National Archives' involvement in retrieving documents from Donald Trump. The choice of this venue for Melania's return to the public eye has raised questions about the strategic motives behind it.
Melania Trump's participation in this event comes amid a backdrop of legal and political scrutiny faced by the Trump family. Her rare public engagement, particularly at the National Archives, has brought to the forefront the complexities of the Trumps' post-presidency activities. The criticism from Wolkoff and others underscores the ongoing public debate about the Trumps' actions and their impact on American democracy and values.
