While her presidential hubby ignored his own call to Americans to honor Monday’s spirit by doing “acts of civic work and community service” and spent the Martin Luther King holiday golfing at his own club in West Palm Beach, Melania Trump took to Twitter to share her MLK Day sentiments. As AOL News reports, Melania tweeted that she is “honored to be First Lady of a nation that continually strives for equality & justice for all.” Sweet words from Mrs. Trump on her first MLK Day in office, but many of her social media critics were quick to point out that they seemed to be little more than lip service.
“Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & his service to this great country. I am honored to be First Lady of a nation that continually strives for equality & justice for all.”
And a far cry from Donald Trump’s recently reported racially-charged sentiments regarding the so-called “s******e countries” of Haiti and throughout Africa, as many Twitter users noted in their replies to Melania’s sentiments. Melania’s tweet about striving for “equality and justice for all,” as well as the annual holiday in celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., came just days after Donald Trump allegedly called a slew of predominantly black nations “s******e countries” in a closed-door oval office meeting immigration and DACA.
“Why are we having all these people from s******e countries come here?”
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & his service to this great country. I am honored to be First Lady of a nation that continually strives for equality & justice for all. #MLKDay
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) January 15, 2018
The POTUS would, however, reportedly welcome an influx of immigrants from Norway.
Perhaps not surprisingly, among the first responses to Melania Trump’s MLK Day came from Twitter users who were quick to troll the First Lady for Donald Trump’s most recent gaffe, with one social media maven telling her to “talk to her husband” about her post and at least one more publicly wondering if Melania has ever even met Donald.
You might want to talk to your husband about equality and justice for all.
— Frances (@pennyblab) January 15, 2018
Have you MET your husband?
— Susan Danzig #44/46?#? (@SusanDanzig219) January 15, 2018
One critic of Melania’s MLK Day message even pointed out the irony of touting “equality and justice for all” on the heels of supporting the so-called “birther movement” espoused by Donald Trump and which dogged Barack Obama throughout his presidency. According to “birthers,” Obama was born in Kenya and his Hawaiian birth certificate was nothing more than a fraudulent document that allowed him to pursue the U.S. presidency.
Said the woman who supported the #BirtherMovement . ?
— JARosenberg (@JARosenberg12) January 15, 2018
While Melania Trump’s Twitter feed was inundated by the mockery of her MLK Day tweet and Donald Trump was, as CNN reports, hitting the links amid protests in Florida, the elder Trump kids were also being trolled for their respective MLK Day tweets. As Daily Mail reports, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump also found themselves targeted by social media users on the Monday holiday.
Ivanka called Martin Luther King Jr. “one of the world’s great heroes.” Her Twitter critics were having none of it, calling her “complicit” with Donald Trump until she publicly condemns his “words and actions.”
Until you actively condemn your father’s words and actions, you are complicit. You don’t get to play both sides.
— Tweez (@Lukethomas101) January 15, 2018
Eric Trump tweeted out nothing more than holiday wishes and a quote by Martin Luther King Jr., but also found himself fielding extreme criticism of his entire family.
“Happy #MartinLutherKingJrDay! Hope you all have a wonderful day!”
According to at least one social media user, Martin Luther King Jr. would be “ashamed” of the Trump family. Another called Eric Trump “everything [MLK] stood against.”
MLK would be ashamed of your family!!
— Melissa R (@melissarohrb) January 15, 2018
Donald Trump Jr. didn’t fare much better than his siblings or stepmother Melania after tweeting out a photograph of himself with Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr. (and avowed Donald Trump supporter). In his MLK day tweet, Donald Trump’s namesake wished his followers a “Happy Martin Luther King Day,” as well as made sure that the world didn’t forget that Ms. King had thrown her hat in the ring with his father.
His Twitter followers, like Melania Trumps, made short work of calling Donald Jr. out, and they had no trouble letting their responses get personal.
This picture BRINGS forth vomit.
— Sandra Lower (@EatonRifles1) January 15, 2018
At least one criticized Alveda King’s record on human rights and insisted that she didn’t stand for the same values as her assassinated uncle.
Alveda King actively opposes rights for LGBT Americans. She is no heir to MLK’s legacy.
— Kate Walter ???? (@KateWalter12) January 15, 2018
While many Americans (and others) were harshly critical of Melania Trump and her stepchildren on the MLK Day holiday, responses to their Monday Twitter sentiments were not entirely one-sided. Some social media users took the opportunity to praise the Trump administration and first family instead.
Your husband is a good man and a patriot. Ignore the people who have hatred for our President. We know he is not a racist nor a Nazi but a leader who cares for all Americans. #MAGA
— David Weissman ?? (@davidmweissman) January 15, 2018
Melania Trump reportedly spent the holiday weekend with her husband and their son, Barron Trump, at Donald’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
