After a text was shared showing Melania Trump refused to condemn the January 6 violence, Mrs. TFG went to Fox News for some image rehab, or maybe pre-hab.
Melania Trump spoke “exclusively” with Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman, a “reporter” who has transcribed Trump campaign and RNC press releases into news headlines. Not surprisingly, Singman didn’t seem to question a single word of Melania’s obvious whoppers.
From FoxNews.com:
"On January 6, 2021, I was fulfilling one of my duties as First Lady of the United States of America, and accordingly, I was unaware of what was simultaneously transpiring at the U.S. Capitol Building," Trump told Fox News Digital.
"As with all First Ladies who preceded me, it was my obligation to record the contents of the White House’s historic rooms, including taking archival photographs of all the renovations. Several months in advance, I organized a qualified team of photographers, archivists, and designers to work with me in the White House to ensure perfect execution," she continued. "As required, we scheduled January 6, 2021, to complete the work on behalf of our Nation."
The former first lady added that "this is a very significant undertaking and requires great care, attention to detail, and concentration — both in the planning and execution."
Melania’s Fox interview was conveniently timed and published hours before the January 6th committee aired its prime time hearing on Thursday. It was known in advance the committee would be focusing on Donald Trump’s dereliction of duty, i.e. his inaction during the three hours of violence that day. As my Crooks and Liars colleague, Conover Kennard, noted, Mrs. Trump was probably worried about what would come up in the hearing.
In fact, she had good reason to be worried given that Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former chief of staff, had tweeted her complicity late last month:
— Stephanie Grisham (@OMGrisham) June 28, 2022
As Kennard put it, Melania isn’t very good at her lies. Not only was her claim to have known nothing about the siege at the Capitol unbelievable to anyone other than a Trump toady, like Singman, but Melania followed up with the even less-credible claim that she has “always been very supportive” of Grisham – despite using the same interview to blame Grisham for Melania’s supposed unawareness of the violence.
Of course, Singman took down Melania’s words like a good stenographer, without a single challenge:
"Ms. Grisham was not in the White House on January 6, and her behavior in her role as Chief of Staff ultimately amounts to dereliction of duty," Trump said, noting that "traditionally, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff provides detailed briefings surrounding our Nation’s important issues."
"In fact, Ms. Grisham failed to provide insight and information into the events surrounding January 6 as she had abandoned her post in Washington, D.C.," she continued. "Shamefully, this behavior has only partially become public knowledge; yet was consistent for Ms. Grisham."
As if Melania were in some kind of cocoon that only Grisham could have pierced.
But there was a big tell in that January 6 text from Melania. If she didn’t know what was going on at the Capitol, “Why didn’t she say, ‘what violence?’” Grisham pointed out, when asked about condemning it.
Of course, that query never seemed to occur to Siingman.
You can watch Grisham shoot down Melania’s lies below, from CNN’s coverage of the July 21, 2022 January 6th committee hearing, via Crooks and Liars.
(Melania Trump image via screen grab)
