Op-ed by Summer Lane | Photo: Alamy
During her husband’s White House administration, First Lady Melania Trump swept into her role with style and ease, cutting a fashionable figure with every public appearance.
What American can forget the elegant white gown she wore during the Inaugural Armed Services Ball in 2017? She was resplendent and glowing while accompanying the newly minted 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Known for her quiet demeanor, Mrs. Trump has often been the subject of unfair speculation at the behest of the mainstream media. Yet, unlike former First Lady Michelle Obama, the Slovenian-born supermodel did not grace the cover of a single fashion magazine between 2017 and 2021.
Mrs. Obama was featured on the cover of “Vogue” three times. She was also a frequent guest on Hollywood shows like “Ellen” and practically worshipped by pop culture and fashion gurus.
At the very least, First Lady Melania Trump deserved to be treated with equal positivity during her husband’s term. Indeed, Mrs. Trump presented a picture of grace and elegance while in the White House, and as Joe and Jill Biden have turned the Executive Office into a confused and weak laughingstock for the world to see, the nation needs a return to Melania Trump’s elegance more than ever.
An elegant cut above the rest
Mrs. Trump’s White House style was reminiscent of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Fashion-forward, sharp-edged, and daring, Melania sported everything from elegant floor-length gowns to sleek skirt suits with beautiful hats.
And who can forget her famous green jacket with the words, “I really don’t care, do you?” stamped on the back? It was a sucker punch aimed at the vicious media machine that often cruelly ran rampant with negative coverage of Mrs. Trump and her husband’s administration.
She told ABC News in 2018 that the jacket was a message “for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me. I want to show them that I don’t care. You could criticize whatever you want to say, but it will not stop me to do what I feel is right.”
More than just a pretty face
As a supermodel, Mrs. Trump was possibly the most beautiful First Lady the country has ever had, but she was more than a mere pretty face. Educated and intelligent, Melania Trump immigrated to the United States from Slovenia. Originally named Melanija Knavs, she used the name Melania Knauss in the modeling industry.
According to the Wall Street Journal, she speaks five languages – English, French, German, Serbian, and Slovenian – and was a successful model in her own right before meeting real estate tycoon Donald Trump in 1998.
In a 2015 interview with Barbara Walters, Mrs. Trump explained that being independent and self-sufficient was important for her to be married to a man like her husband.
She said, “We have a great chemistry and to be with a man like my husband is you need to know who you are. You need to have a very independent life and supporting him, you need to be very smart and quick, and be there for him when he needs you.”
Her passion for America’s youth is refreshing
While in the White House, the First Lady kick-started the “Be Best” initiative, which focused on encouraging children to “BE BEST in their individual paths while also teaching them the importance of social, emotional, and physical health.”
“When we teach our children to cherish our values and care for each other, they are better prepared to carry on Americans’ legacy of compassion, service, and patriotism,” she explained in a statement.
The initiative had three central core focuses: online safety, well-being, and opioid abuse. Mrs. Trump’s work on these points was extensive, and it even extended internationally in places like Africa, the United Kingdom, Japan, and India.
“It remains our generation’s moral imperative to take responsibility and help our children manage the many issues they are facing today, including encouraging positive social, emotional, and physical habits,” she declared.
The nation needs stability and elegance
There is so much turmoil in the world today. Mrs. Trump was a calm and steady First Lady who never failed to show warmth and compassion to the people of this country, as well as the children of the world.
From her beautiful fashion to her quiet rebellion against the machinations of the mainstream media circus, she proved that not only is she resilient and strong, but she is also a woman who knows her own mind and values.
Heading into 2025, America needs a return to sovereign pride. As the prospective First Lady again alongside President Donald Trump, the lovely Melania Trump will restore elegant and feminine representation to the Executive Office once more.