Melania Trump leaves White House with worst popularity rating for a first lady
In the recent CNN/RSS poll, US first lady Melania Trump, who is several hours away from becoming a former FLOTUS, received 42 percent favorable and 47 percent unfavorable rating, which make it the worst popularity rating for any first lady at the end of her term in polling history.
The CNN polls show that the average first lady popular rating is 71 percent with unpopularity rating of 21 percent.
For the past four years while in office, Melania Trump has received numerous criticisms—from wearing the controversial jacket emblazoned with “I really don’t care, do you?” during a trip to a migrant child detention center, her taste for design in decking the White House for the holidays, plagiarizing former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech, to enabling many of her husband’s destructive behavior.
The poll results came days following a Trump-fueled mob stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the election. It took Melania several days to release a statement, where she said she was “disappointed and disheartened by what happened” but described the rioters as “passionate” and disregarded her husband’s responsibility for the attacks.
As the attacks were ongoing, the FLOTUS was reportedly having her rugs photographed in the White House.
In tune with the Trump administration historically breaking traditions, Melania also broke the 100-year-old first ladies’ custom of inviting incoming FLOTUS Jill Biden to tea and a tour of the White House family quarters.
A Farewell Message from First Lady Melania Trump pic.twitter.com/WfG1zg2mt4
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) January 18, 2021
Instead, she posted a farewell video on her Twitter account where she decries “salacious gossip, personal attacks and false and misleading accusations” about her. She also urged Americans to “remember that violence is never the answer and will never be justified.”
The CNN/RSS poll report said that historically, the only first lady who left the White House with a popularity rating below 40 points was Hilary Clinton, who ended with 52 percent favorable and 39 percent unfavorable ratings. This was right after her husband’s impeachment and Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Melania's predecessor, Michelle Obama, left the White House with a favorable rating of 69 percent and 28 percent unfavorable rating.
Melania Trump, born in Slovenia, is the second first lady born outside the United States (Louisa Adams, wife of President John Quincy Adams, was born in London) and the only first lady who had been a naturalized US citizen. As a first lady, her campaign was Be Best, which focuses on the well-being of youth and some major issues facing children. She also started a campaign against cyber bullying in her early months as FLOTUS, prompting critics to point out the the biggest cyber bully was her husband Donald Trump.
Banner image photos from the White House
