Melania Trump Slammed For Tweet About Desire To ‘Positively Impact Children’ Amid Child Separation Controversy

Melania Trump is under fire for what critics say is a “tone deaf” tweet about looking for ways to “positively impact children” amid the Trump administration’s policy separating immigrant children from their parents.

This week, outrage has erupted over the Trump policy to detain children crossing the U.S. border with their families, placing them in holding facilities that critics have compared to concentration camps. Though the policy has been in place for several weeks now, a series of stories from inside the facilities has drawn outrage and calls for Donald Trump to reverse the policy. Amid the hub, the first lady is now taking heat as well for a tweet about her desire to help children.

The tweet came after a meeting with Queen Letizia of Spain, during which Melania said she discussed ways to “positively impact children.” The first lady recently rolled out a “Be Best” initiative aimed at promoting positive behaviors among children, including an end to cyberbullying.

But the tweet struck a nerve with critics, who said that Melania Trump has the power to call on her husband to end the practice of taking children away from their parents. As reports have noted, even families crossing the border legally to seek asylum in the United States have been separated from their families, and toddlers and infants have been placed into special holding facilities away from their parents.

A great visit with the King & Queen of Spain at the @WhiteHouse today. Queen Letizia & I enjoyed tea & time together focusing on the ways we can positively impact children. pic.twitter.com/IiaMQOil3K

— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) June 19, 2018

The tweet not only prompted outrage but renewed calls for Melania Trump to help put an end to the policy.

Melania Trump had already waded into the controversy, tweeting over the weekend in a call for the policy to end. Communications Director Stephanie Grisham told CNN that Melania Trump “hates” to see children separated from their parents and called on all sides to come together to find a solution.

But the solution lies entirely with Donald Trump, critics say. It was Trump’s administration that announced the policy of separating children from their parents, with Attorney General Jeff Sessions saying it was meant as a deterrent to those trying to enter the United States.

This is not the first time that Melania Trump has been targeted for her husband’s policies and behavior. Since the rollout of the “Be Best” initiative, many have singled out Melania every time her husband has taken to Twitter to attack his critics, noting that the first lady has not done much to stop what they see as cyberbullying coming from her own home.