Melania looks like she is being held hostage. So unhappy! CNN commentary is brilliant.

[anneboleyn]

So Melania's speech, introducing herself again since after all we haven't seen her campaign at all for her dear husband or appear on the campaign trail (except for the debates), was devoid of ANY personal details, and it seems like Melania doesn't even know Trump (according to the commentators). Then she RAN off the stage -- zero smiles, no interaction with audience, etc. It was very uncomfortable. She was out of there as fast as possible (like a cartoon character -- leaving media, supporters, etc all standing there). CNN is saying that she spoke for ten minutes, which was "surprisingly short."

They are saying that this was a (very) wasted opportunity. Melania has not done any of the things potential FLOTUS-es normally do such as giving a speech or two ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL about what she might do as First Lady and why her husband should be president etc...until TODAY. She looks very stiff, very uncomfortable, even miserable. She hasn't smiled once, and it seems to me that she is reading through the speech as quickly as possible. She is just saying lines with a robot-like monotone. Now she has finished, and she literally ran off the stage -- no smiling at audience, no little wave, nada.

One of the journalists said that Melania told her she didn't want any part in politics and just wanted to raise her son (honestly I think ten year old Barron is a little old to be mommied (smothered) as much as he seems to be -- he also barely seemed to know who Trump was at the RNC and tried to get away from him when Trump grabbed him for a picture-hug). She looked MISERABLE. Honestly I don't think I am exaggerating, and the CNN commentators were (shockingly) somewhat honest about how strange and uncomfortable it was -- it was a stunt, and Melania clearly didn't want to be there. I hope she nails that fucker when she files for divorce on Nov. 9th...

David Gergen just said the whole speech was a "fraud."

Melania actually said/read that she thinks that online bullying is bad and mean. Kirsten Powers pointed out that her husband is famously a horrible bully, online and offline, and that the disconnect seemed "very odd." Also -- Trump is all about 'Murican values like "kindness" and "compassion." One of the CNN journalists just asked: "Has Melania even met Donald Trump?!" They are also saying that Melania didn't say anything personal about about Trump -- like "she doesn't even know him."

They are also joking that several lines sounded like they were lifted from the musical "Hair" -- (the Age of Aquarius song). Ouch (great song though).

[RKP5637]

1. She acts like a programmed robot!!! n/t

[aaaaaa5a]

2. One CNN commentator said the speech could have been given

by Mike Pence's wife. That's how little insight into Donald that the speech added.

[Cha]

7. Good one!

[anneboleyn]

12. That is a great comment -- it was WEIRD. Like couldn't they make up stories about Melania and

Trump to try to make him appear a little more human? Like some story about some (nice?) thing he did as her husband and Barron's father? But yeah exactly -- she talks about him like he is some guy she met at a dinner party and went on two or three dates with a few years ago -- not the father of her child, her husband of ten plus years, and the guy who is running for president and asking millions of people to put their lives in his hands (shudder).

Melania did her job today with a very obvious reluctance (imho of course), and that in itself speaks volumes about who and what Trump really is...

[Avalux]

3. I'm really surprised she was allowed to use a teleprompter since Donald hates them. n/t

[Cha]

4. Thanks for that, anne! It good to see she wasn't

getting away with any Orwellian shite.

[Siwsan]

5. One has to wonder if she knew what she was getting into, when she married that guy

Oh, sure, she knew about the money, and maybe that was her primary motivation.

Does she even have a life, outside of being Trump's marital arm candy??

[elehhhhna]

21. This is reportedly only seen in public with her mother and her son and of course the Donald

[lostnfound]

63. She will probably outlive him and hopefully write tell-all book

The fact that the right wing base is so easy to manipulate is disturbing and dangerous.

[Tanuki]

6. She certainly did get off the stage in a hurry. Didn't shake a single hand, pose for selfies with

admirers, or anything else you'd expect from a candidate's spouse.

[anneboleyn]

17. No! Honestly I was surprised that she took off so quickly -- like a cartoon character!!

But seriously I am sure it was disappointing to the Trump crowd (which looked small to me -- they were all herded to the very front of the room but there was a lot of open space in the back which they stopped showing when the "official" coverage started). I am sure the Trumpers were hoping for an opportunity to take a picture or two or any of the usual things as you noted. They got nothing (I am hearing Willy Wonka's voice in my head)

[Charles Bukowski]

9. Of course she was uncomfortable. CNN may have forgot about

the sexual assault accusations (because... EMAILS!!!) but I bet you Melania hasn't.

[Madam45for2923]

10. It looked to me like she was lying and she just wanted to be admired for cute-ness!

Thinking her cute-ness will mesmerize others into voting for her gangrenous husband!

Like kids that know they're being cute and so you will give them what they ask/demand, because woah how could you refuse them!

This was what she was banking on! This was what Trump was banking on! and what their "campaign" was banking on!

They take us for fools!

[BSdetect]

15. fuckface von clownstick may have another divorce pending

[Joe941]

16. Don't attack her.

It's a loser tactic.

[anneboleyn]

29. Oh come on! She is a political figure. She called women liars who accused her husband.

You are wrong.

[Joe941]

34. She really isn't a political figure

She is low key and people like her. Attacking her will backfire and is a low ball move republicans would do.

[LanternWaste]

37. conflating criticism with "attack" is simplistic.

By definition, she really is a political figure; and conflating criticism with "attack" is a somewhat simplistic reduction.

[anneboleyn]

42. Again with the personal insults? She IS a political figure, and I am hardly "attacking" her.

So we can't discuss her speech today, an obviously political speech given as part of her husband's presidential campaign, because "people like her?" This is a very odd stance for someone who is posting on a DU discussion board.

[LovingA2andMI]

58. So Says The Joe...

[JTFrog]

66. IMHO......

Honestly, if I were to give my honest opinion, I honestly don't know if I could give my honest opinion because if I am to be honest, in my honest opinion, I would just say I honestly think you are wrong.

That's just IMHO though.

[DinahMoeHum]

43. Sorry, but she's actively campaigning for her husband. . .

. . .and that speech she did at the GOP convention was heavily plagiarized from one of Michelle Obama's speeches a while back.
AFAIC, Melania is fair game, just like TrumpleThinSkin's other adult children.

[Wellstone ruled]

22. Wow,

the lady looks so unhappy and her body language screams anguish. Does she really have a clue as to what her spouse is up to? Think not. Appears to be in way over her head and sinking even deeper. Sure looks like someone who is or has been abused Mentally and Emotionally. Bullied by her spouse?

[greymattermom]

28. Many people are terrified of public speaking

and if she is one of those, she would look like that. I do a lot of public speaking in my job, and it took me awhile to get used to it. Now I like it, but she has never had a chance to get used to it.

[Wellstone ruled]

45. Understand that aspect.

This young Lady has had years of modeling and other public exposure. That given,she sure appears to have battered spouse syndrome,and meaning Mental abuse. The Lady is affair of her shadow.

[anneboleyn]

39. Ivana said that he raped her and physically abused her (but then walked her claims back)

during their divorce. This is all a guess of course but Melania seems very, very unhappy to me, very isolated, and her attachment to Barron -- who is ten/eleven years old and in school and no doubt prefers his friends at his age to time with mommy -- seems a bit much, like that is her safe place. She still talks about him like he is an infant that needs constant attention and oversight.

I hope she dumps Trump post 11/8. He has embarrassed her repeatedly with his gross antics and statements, and hopefully some great divorce attorney can get her what she deserves for putting up with him for so long.

[Wellstone ruled]

48. Still say this Lady is trapped and she does not know it.

[still_one]

26. I have no doubt she is very uncomfortable by all of this, and would rather be somewhere else

[Ilsa]

30. CNN is hammering Trump over Melania's speech.

Asking why should donald get away with cyber bullying if it's wrong?

I just heard an excerpt, and I could barely understand Melania.

[anneboleyn]

33. Jake Tapper is ripping the Trump campaign chair about this right now. It is so cringe inducing

Jake keeps repeating Melania's comments about how we need to end cyber bullying and then asking how she can say this when Trump constantly abuses people online AND sends his minions to attack them. It was glorious -- he just cut the guy off and ended the exchange. The Trumper looked stunned.

[Ilsa]

35. Tapper knows their time is ending.

He's ready to board and sail them to the West like very old Elven people and Frodo.

[anneboleyn]

38. Lol! As a Tolkien fan your post is very dear to my heart! The Grey Havens...

[Ilsa]

40. I doubt they'd be admitted, though.

Elves have standards, you know.

[anneboleyn]

44. Indeed they do -- I would love to hear Galadriel's take on the whole thing!

[adigal]

57. i thought tapper gave him the chance to respond when he said it was Donald's

Own words and the campaign person said nothing for at least 5 seconds. That's when Tapper said, "OK thank you."

I cheered.

[anneboleyn]

36. Honestly it is so weird to me that they would have Melania say that in a speech given

Trump's infamous behavior. It just screams insincerity. The press is definitely jumping on it and saying that it is hypocritical. I guess it is all Meredith McIver's fault again?

[Ilsa]

41. It's more projection, isn't it? LOL NT

[anneboleyn]

47. Absolutely. Trump's obsession with Weiner being a "pervert" is projection as well given his own

comments about how he would deliberately walk into the dressing rooms of the very young women in his pageants (underage women!) so that he could catch them nude. Trump seems to be entirely incapable of self-examination or self-awareness.

[TeamPooka]

32. She's blinking her eyes in a pattern. Wait! IT'S AN SOS! She wants to be rescued!

I think she's being held against her will....

[maryellen99]

46. She's fair game imho

She's a birther and went on Joy Behar and demanded Pres Obama produce his birth certificate.

[anneboleyn]

50. Exactly. I am very tired of the one or two posters who say we can't discuss her b/c she is some

delicate flower that can't be mentioned even though she is married to a man who wants to be president -- AND SHE CALLED ALL OF THE WOMEN WHO ACCUSED HER HUSBAND OF SEXUAL ABUSE LIARS. She has inserted herself in this and she is fair game.

[Doc_Technical]

51. Well, as the song says:

"every form of refuge has its price."

[Rock On]

53. So it is OK for Melania

to bash the women who accused The Donald of sexual actions; but
Hillary is repeatedly chastised for doing the same.
It is truly hypocritical.

[treestar]

65. welcome to DU!

Indeed "Hypocrite" and "Republican" are synonyms.

[mnhtnbb]

54. Melania made her deal with the devil when she married Trump for his money

[progressoid]

55. Wow. I just saw a clip.

She looked really uncomfortable.

[bdamomma]

56. She is miserable loves him for his money of course

do you think she shares a bed with him???? poor thing

[OxQQme]

59. When she walked on stage and flashed the 'V'ictory sign

it looked like her fingernails are longer than donaldz fingers.

[anamandujano]

62. Not saying anything about presentation, her mental state or looks. What a crock!

Nothing she said jibes with what we have heard and seen of tRump on the campaign trail and that's putting it mildly.