Days before the 2016 presidential election, Melania Trump gave a speech on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania. Speaking about how technology has evolved and shaped the world around us, she admitted to being both awestruck by the power it possessed and worried about the pervasive culture of cyberbullying. She claimed internet culture had become “too mean and too rough.” This would serve as the teaser for what later became her big initiative during her husband’s first term in office, “Be Best.”
Melania Trump’s “Be Best” campaign was focused on empowering the youth and combating cyberbullying. The initiative was heavily criticized by the press and the public, especially concerning the hypocrisy of the wife of Donald Trump preaching about cyberbullying, the slow start the campaign got, and plagiarism accusations following a speech that was eerily similar to one that former first lady Michelle Obama gave in 2016. The Siena College Research Institute ranked her first lady initiative the worst among the ten most recent first ladies.
While many at the time claimed that Melania Trump was uniquely unqualified for the role of first lady, a poorly received initiative is not uncommon for first ladies — it is actually the norm. The difficulties faced by Melania Trump were indicative of a trend that has plagued first ladies’ initiatives for years.
As the role of women has continued to evolve in the American zeitgeist, so have the perceptions and expectations of the first lady of the United States. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was the first presidential spouse to launch an initiative. Before Mrs. Roosevelt, the expectation of the first lady in the eyes of the American public was decidedly unclear. Mrs. Roosevelt’s initiative focused on women’s rights, civil rights, and humanitarian efforts. Subsequent first ladies have focused on social, cultural, and physical issues. This included initiatives such as Jackie Kennedy’s White House restoration, which aimed to highlight the White House and the culture surrounding the iconic presidential residence. Her tour of the White House in 1962 that aired on CBS drew 80 million viewers and began a tradition of first ladies inviting the press into the White House. Yet, when assessing modern initiatives, there seems to be a consensus that none hold up — in spite of these previous successes.
The indivisible tie to their husbands dooms any first lady initiative before it can get off the ground. The role of the first lady of the United States is not elected and can only be attained through marriage to the president of the United States. Therefore, there is little separation from the president whenever the first lady acts. When Melania Trump launched her initiative against cyberbullying, the irony was lost on no one. Eventually, Mrs. Trump addressed the criticism, saying that she was “well aware that people are skeptical,” but that it would not stop her from advocating for an end to cyberbullying.
When former first lady Laura Bush introduced her initiative focused on childhood literacy, meant to encourage children to read and pursue learning, critics quickly pointed to her husband President George W. Bush’s frequent gaffes and his aggressive education reform “No Child Left Behind,” which slashed school funding and left many students without the resources needed to read or pursue learning. Before she was the first lady of the United States or Texas, Mrs. Bush was a librarian. Her previous experience was overshadowed by her husband’s actions and greatly weakened her campaign.
Another campaign weakened by misdirected vitriol for her husband was former first lady Michelle Obama. Her “Let’s Move!” initiative was focused on nutrition and combating childhood obesity. She lobbied for congressional reform of childhood nutritional standards, resulting in the right viciously attacking her. Nonsensical and false claims about Mrs. Obama’s true intentions, such as claims that soon Americans would be fined for using salt, ran rampant. Conservative and right-leaning news outlets such as Fox News were no strangers to sparking far-fetched tirades against the Obama family. The infamous tan suit controversy is still being referenced as an example of the sort of attacks levied against President Barack Obama while he was in office, attacks that followed Michelle Obama in her pursuit of health reforms.
No matter how hard they try, first ladies will continue to struggle to distinguish their own initiatives apart from their husbands’ legacy.
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.