First lady Melania Trump made her first comments Monday, 11 January, about the violence at the Capitol when pro-Trump rioters stormed the building last week.
In a lengthy written statement posted to the white house website, she said that her heart goes out to the six people who have died since the attack, including two Capitol police officers.
“I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week. I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain,” she said.
The first lady added that: “Our Nation must heal in a civil manner. Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol. Violence is never acceptable.
“As an American, I am proud of our freedom to express our viewpoints without persecution. It is one of the paramount ideals which America is fundamentally built on. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect that right. With that in mind, I would like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and look at things from all perspectives.
Melania, however, implored people to stop violence and never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness.
“We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us,” Melania stated.
She added that it was inspiring to see that so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election, “but we must not allow that passion to turn to violence. Our path forward is to come together, find our commonalities, and be the kind and strong people that I know we are.”
“Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation.”
However, Melania Trump made no mention of those who are responsible for inciting the violence last Wednesday.
The first lady also said nothing about the calls for vice president Mike Pence, with the help of Trump’s Cabinet, to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office or the plan by house democrats to possibly impeach him for a second time.
She said it’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the first lady.
While Melania has largely stayed quiet during her husband’s attempts to defy the election result, she has echoed the president’s misleading language of counting legal votes and has not publicly acknowledged Biden’s victory. (AFP)
