Almost immediately following — or concurrent with — Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Save Melania! campaign kicked into gear. Observers noted that the new First Lady seemed to be more miserable than Morrissey in a meatpacking plant.
Evidence mounted. On Inauguration Day, as the Trumps pulled up to the White House for the first time, Trump bounded out of the car without holding the door for his wife, leaving her to trail behind like an attendant carrying the train of his invisible robe (and a Tiffany box, which led to this fun meme). Then right before his inaugural address, Trump turned to her and said or did something that caused her face to collapse as soon as he turned around.
I can’t stop staring at the gif https://t.co/LqHMmFOVyp pic.twitter.com/CSGxT2eRS4
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) January 23, 2017
Although Melania has yet to move to Washington permanently and Trump’s daughter Ivanka has been standing in, leading to tension between the two, the first lady has been mostly silent, demure and demurring.
Until last night.
On her verified Twitter account @MelaniaTrump, a Like appeared for a tweet from writer Andy Ostroy, who tweeted the inauguration smiley-frowny gif and remarked: “Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrump’s built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump”.
Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrump‘s built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump pic.twitter.com/XiNd2jiLUF
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 3, 2017
I suspect this isn’t a real account for @flotus… pic.twitter.com/ziWXhlHruV
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 3, 2017
This was only the second thing Melania had apparently liked since her account’s creation (this is her personal account, not the official @FLOTUS account).
Within hours, the Like disappeared. But the screenshots were done.
Response on Twitter ranged from “Oh sh*t” to “Ooooh, girl”:
@AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS Civil War, is coming.#CivilWarIsComing pic.twitter.com/i44UvdZ9Nf pic.twitter.com/WWIi5Pehbz
— Larry Chiang (@LarryChiang) May 3, 2017
@AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS Mess! pic.twitter.com/YWs9fpreTi
— j o e y (@reinvention) May 3, 2017
@AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP @MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever. pic.twitter.com/8PfHCVbVPq
— David Barden (@davefbarden) May 3, 2017
@AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS For as much of a Twitter troll Trump is, Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far. https://t.co/1QXSGJRAgy
— Mike Zacchio (@Mike_Zacchio) May 3, 2017
@AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS .@MELANIATRUMP as soon as she sees what she’s just liked. pic.twitter.com/8CFB5qUPwW
— David Barden (@davefbarden) May 3, 2017
The morning after, there are more questions than answers. Was this legit? Was it an accidental or planned message? What other passive-aggression could come? Was Melania’s statement that she’d fight cyberbullying as First Lady an ironic swat at her husband?
Time, and apparently Twitter, will tell.
