Melania Trump was seen repeatedly ignoring her husband’s attempt to take her hand as the two departed from Air Force One in New Jersey on Sunday.
Whether the snub was intentional was a matter of sharp debate as the video gained viral attention.
The clip, shared on Twitter by The Hill , showed President Donald Trump and his wife arriving at Joint Base Andrews and walking side-by-side down the stairs. Donald was seen reaching over in an attempt to grab her hand. She had turned her head to the side and pulled her arm away from him.
MOMENTS AGO: President Trump, First Lady Melania, and Barron arrive at Joint Base Andrews from Morristown, NJ. pic.twitter.com/f6z3m5gx8w
— The Hill (@thehill) August 16, 2020
Many believed the clip showed some simmering animosity not only between Donald Trump and his wife, but also with his youngest son.
“She can’t stand him so much, she’d rather roll down the steps in order to avoid him. And he can’t even let his kid go before him into the helicopter,” one person tweeted.
You can view that post here .
Others speculated that Donald Trump was actually reaching out for help in navigating the long stairway.
“He walks much, much faster (as do I) when holding in to someone’s arm. He kept reaching for her hand because, if he didn’t, he would walk at a lot slower pace. She’s his cane,” a Twitter user commented underneath the post from The Hill .
You can view that tweet here .
To many, the video invoked another infamous moment from a trip to Israel in 2017 in which Melania appeared to swat away Donald’s attempt to hold hands. As The Inquisitr reported, the video sparked speculation that there could be trouble in the marriage, though a source later told Politico that it was not meant to be a repudiation but rather an effort by Melania to stick to protocol for an official visit.
The pair did hold hands publicly a number of times since the incident, which seemed to lend credibility to the idea that it was not meant as a rebuke. And, as many others pointed out, they even did so earlier in the day on Sunday.
MOMENTS AGO: President Trump, @FLOTUS Melania, and Barron depart Morristown, NJ en route to Washington, D.C. pic.twitter.com/AhfKQtkVJg
— The Hill (@thehill) August 16, 2020
Still others believed the clip that captured viral attention on Sunday was misleading as well, saying it appeared to have nothing to do with snubbing her husband and more to do with keeping her own outfit in order. The footage showed that there were gusts of wind as the family made their way down the staircase, and many commenters believed that Melania was simply keeping her hand on her skirt to prevent it from blowing upward, something Donald apparently did not notice.
Some added that the family is still grieving the death of the president’s younger brother, Robert Trump, making it more unlikely that Melania would have publicly and intentionally snubbed her husband.
