Melania Trump Dragged Into Controversy By Florida School Shooting Survivor
Melania Trump was called out on Twitter by a survivor of the Florida school shooting. David Hogg has been vocal in his stance on stricter gun control since the tragic shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A conspiracy theory was floated earlier this week that the teenager was a “crisis actor” coached by his father — a former FBI agent. A tweet President Donald Trump’s son liked suggested he believed it to be true.
According to the Washington Examiner, Lauren Hogg lashed out at Mrs. Trump over the tweet Donald Jr. liked involving her brother. The 14-year-old blasted the first lady for falling short in her job on cyberbullying prevention. Lauren tweeted her disgust at Melania for not having a conversation with her stepson before he liked the tweet about David being part of an unfathomable conspiracy in light of the mass shooting that left 17 dead on February 14.
Hogg told Melania Trump that the conspiracy theory has also put a target on her back. David Hogg’s frustrated sister added that she’s only 14 and “shouldn’t have to deal with any of this.” The distraught student continued that just when she thought things couldn’t get much worse, it has because of her family.
Hey @FLOTUS you say that your mission as First Lady is to stop cyber bullying, well then, don’t you think it would have been smart to have a convo with your step-son @DonaldJTrumpJr before he liked a post about a false conspiracy theory which in turn put a target on my back
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) February 23, 2018
&created a safe space for people all over the world to call me and my family horrific things that constantly re-victimizes us and our community. I’m 14 I should never have had to deal with any of this and even though I thought it couldn’t get worse it has because of your family.
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) February 23, 2018
David and Lauren Hogg’s mother, Rebecca Boldrick, told the news source that the conspiracy theory has resulted in the family receiving death threats.
A Parkland shooting survivor tweeted at Melania Trump, asking her to stop Donald Jr. from cyberbullying her https://t.co/E7PA4IA2Qr
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 23, 2018
Donald Trump Jr. has liked two tweets pushing the idea that David Hogg and his father are part of a conspiracy. One America News Network host Graham Ledger tweeted one asking if David was trying to cover for his father since he worked with the FBI’s Miami office and the ball was dropped in following up on reports about the Valentine’s Day shooter. The other tweet that Trump Jr. liked was a similar message posted by True Pundit’s Thomas Paine.
Buzzfeed covered the controversy in-depth and printed the statement David Hogg gave them in response to Donald Trump Jr.’s liked tweets.
“It’s a testament to the sick immaturity and broken state of our government when these people feel the need to pedal conspiracy theories about people that were in a school shooting where 17 people died and it just makes me sick,” Hogg told the website.
Melania Trump hasn’t responded to the tweet and no comment has come from her spokeswoman. The first lady has vowed to fight cyberbullying as one of her platforms.
