Melania Trump Finds Her Stride – The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator

Melania Trump began her reprise as first lady in a manner that was altogether confusing. At the inauguration, she donned a hat with a brim so broad that it was shocking. It hid the top half of her head to such an extent that it was quasi-militaristic.

That inauguration ensemble would mark just the beginning of a parade of outfits that followed a pattern: menswear, with a feminine, ultra-luxe twist.

Look, for example, at what the first lady donned for the National Governors Association Evening Dinner and Reception. For the black-tie event, she chose to wear a tuxedo with small feminine details, such as an open collar. Melania and her husband looked nearly matching in their tuxes as they held hands down the red carpet.

Melania Trump appears at the National Governors Association Evening Dinner and Reception

There was also her dramatic official portrait. In a perfectly tailored Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket, she strikes a power pose, with her hands reflecting onto the desk’s mirrored surface. Whereas her last official portrait prominently displayed her ($4 million) engagement and wedding rings, her engagement ring is just barely visible in this latest iteration.

Melania Trump’s official portrait (The White House)

The meaning of the transition to menswear-inspired outfits is clear, especially given the dramatic departure from her past style. (Consider, for example, the head-to-toe pink outfit, complete with pale pink pumps, she chose for visiting a children’s hospital in 2019.) Melania wants to be her own man. Meaning, she wants to stand alone and be defined by her own accomplishments, rather than simply being a woman on a man’s arm.

Anonymous sources from the first lady’s camp told CNN as much last month. Those sources said that the first lady would be present for the president’s “major events,” but that she “would have her own platform and priorities as first lady.”

The first lady has taken on a very strong definition of forging an individual path. That is most evident in how little time Melania chooses to spend at the White House. In fact, prior to her appearance at the National Governors Association dinner, she had spent a full four weeks away from the White House. Though she and Donald famously don’t really live together, this was a bold assertion of individuality upon the commencement of his presidency.

After that dinner, Melania decided to send aides anonymously to People magazine to communicate how she is approaching her role as first lady. The source declared that Melania “will never be a traditional first lady” and that she “has her own ideas on what she wants to do.” Commenting on her living situation, the source said that both Donald and Melania “live at Mar-a-Lago and have quarters in the White House” but that Melania “leads her own life and joins him when appropriate in either place.”

It didn’t seem like Melania was doing much during her four-week-long absence from the White House, but it has been suggested that she was at work on the filming of her Amazon Prime documentary, for which the Wall Street Journal has reported she is being paid $28 million. The documentary follows a similar track as her memoir, Melania, which came out last year. In her memoir, she revealed that she has socially liberal beliefs, the foremost of which is her support for abortion. This revelation — which was intended to put ground between herself and her husband — demonstrated that Melania is, in fact, not on the side of the conservatives who supported her husband on account of the pro-life stance he adopted in 2015. In fact, her loyalties lie far from conservatism.

What, then, is a liberal first lady to do under a Republican president? Especially given that Melania seeks to distance herself from her husband and does not even live in the same state as him.

Well, Melania appears to have found the right answer to that question: She will seek to unite Democrats and Republicans on areas of mutual agreement.

Last week, Melania appeared on Capitol Hill to lobby for a bill that would make it a federal crime to post nonconsensual pornography online, including AI-generated pornography. The Associated Press deemed it her “first solo public appearance” since she became first lady in January.

The bill, the Take It Down Act, which was passed in the Senate, is co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, as well as Republican Rep. Maria Salazar and Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean. The proposed bill would also require social media companies to take down such material within 48 hours of being notified of it.

Notably, the first lady again deployed her newfound preference for menswear for her Capitol Hill appearance, choosing a Ralph Lauren suit with a “tie” of black ribbon. In an Associated Press photograph snapped of her walking down a hallway, leading the way with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Sen. Ted Cruz behind her, it almost looks as though she is the president.

First Lady Melania Trump leads a roundtable discussion on the Take It Down Act

In the roundtable discussion, which she led, she struck a tone of imploring bipartisanship. She said: “I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar are united to prioritize this fundamental matter. I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrats, leaders, with us today to address this serious issue. Surely, as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.” The only Democrat who attended the roundtable discussion was California Rep. Ro Khanna.

Next to Melania sat advocate Elliston Berry, who is lobbying for the bill following an experience in high school in which a classmate created AI-generated pornography using images from her Instagram account.

Melania also positioned herself as a champion for young people, saying, “Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themself freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.”

It’s unclear whether the bill will find success in the House, but Speaker Mike Johnson said after the roundtable with Melania that he is a “full supporter” of the bill.

Avoiding the White House and cashing in with a $28 million documentary may not rank among the best moves a first lady has ever made, but, with her advocacy against revenge pornography, Melania has finally found an area where she can forge her own path and wear the pants, so to speak, taking the lead on an issue that brings people together.

The hope is that Melania remains in this lane of common ground rather than trying to lead conservatives toward her brand of liberalism.

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