Melania Trump Makes Rare Campaign Appearance To Speak Out About Bullying

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, has had no qualms about calling Donald Trump a bully, as reported just yesterday by BBC News. And she hasn’t been the only one. However, amidst the swirling accusations that label Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, a bully, here was an interesting turn of events tied to Melania Trump, the potential First Lady.

While Melania has remained somewhat silent since the Republican National Convention, she made a rare public appearance to declare her intention to focus on fighting against online bullying, especially against children, if she officially assumes the title of the First Lady, as reported by Sky News.

Melania Trump says she will devote her energy as first lady to reducing online bullying https://t.co/iNyHK5LqAi pic.twitter.com/yGy40I27ur

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 3, 2016

She considers the prevalence of online bullying, especially among children and teens, to be an indication that American culture “has gotten too mean and too rough.” She continues by labeling the activity “absolutely unacceptable” while also asserting that her husband would make a “fantastic president.”

Melania, a Slovenia-born former model who is currently a citizen of the United States, made these statements during a campaign stop near Philadelphia, where she was working to sway voters to her husband’s side.

The Republican National Convention

The appearance in Philadelphia is Melania’s first since the infamous speech at the Republican National Convention. During the convention, her speech was originally well received. However, it soon became apparent that it was shockingly similar to the speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama during the 2008 Democratic Convention. Michelle’s speech was in support of her husband’s bid for re-election.

Since the speech debacle, Melania has been notably absent from the campaign trail. She has stated that the reason for her absence was so she could focus on raising Barron, the 10-year-old son of Donald and Melania Trump.

Trump Staying On Script

On the same day, during an appearance in battle-torn Florida, Donald Trump took a more scripted approach as he appealed for support from the state’s voters. The approach was notably different from some of his previous appearances where he tended to speak off the cuff. While some supporters have appreciated his original approach to campaign-related speaking engagements, it has also provided the Democrats with potential ammunition whenever he is caught during a major faux pas.

What kind of first lady would Melania Trump be? https://t.co/oFl5FWjB3L pic.twitter.com/gFtpQsipgG

— Boston Globe Opinion (@GlobeOpinion) October 25, 2016

Often, Donald’s poll numbers appear to slip whenever a new controversy comes to light. With the election less than one week away, such events may determine who does, or does not, ultimately get selected to the highest post in American government for the next four years.

Clinton Accusations

Hillary’s campaign has also faced its fair share of controversy. While the original email scandal, focused on Hillary’s use of a private email server and whether classified information was mishandled, had seemed to be at rest, recent statements regarding renewed interest on the part of FBI investigators has thrust the issue back into the limelight.

CNN provides an overview of the email scandal’s timeline, beginning with the original server and domain name registration in 2008 and ending (currently) with the October 28 revelation that new emails were being examined, based on a statement from FBI Director Comey which was sent to eight congressional committee chairmen.

However, the nature of the reveal has led both Democrats and Republicans to pressure Director Comey to resign, as reported by ABC News. The pressure is most directly related to accusations that the revelation was released with the intent to influence the outcome of the election, especially since the statements provided to key Democratic and Republican personnel appeared to indicate that a connection to the email scandal was not currently found.

While a connection had not been officially made, the news of the accusations spread quickly, potentially affecting the outcome of an election that is now only days away.

[Featured Image by J. Scott Applewhite/AP Images]