With the U.S. death toll from coronavirus now having surpassed 215,000, First Lady Melania Trump decided she’d take to Twitter and offer up “thoughts and prayers” to the victims. But based on the responses she received, she probably should have remained silent.
Here’s Melania’s tweet:
Our thoughts & prayers continue to be w/ each person suffering & fighting to recover from this terrible virus, & with all of the families who have lost loved ones. Even though we are physically apart, we are all in this fight together.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 24, 2020
HuffPost notes that the “thoughts and prayers” line is the exact same language used by Republicans after mass shootings:
“The criticism of the tweet echoed that leveled at political leaders who often call for ‘thoughts and prayers’ following deadly mass shootings, but then fail to enact any meaningful gun control measures.”
Reaction to Melania’s tone-deaf posting was immediate:
You might want to share this with your *husband* as he has yet to extend his sympathies to families hit by this virus. Your family really needs to get your priorities straight.
— B.E.C. (@SLOnonnie) April 24, 2020
Empty words …..
Empty prayers ……. https://t.co/Iys1KTmBYx— A view from afar (@Aviewfromafar17) April 24, 2020
Ah, thoughts and prayers for the long suffering citizens, trillions of dollars for the financial institutions which cause our suffering. Your empty words move us. We’d like to move you as well, back to Mordor or where ever you hail from. https://t.co/XKsaKZpTCX
— Arturo Hammer (@ArtAHammer) April 24, 2020
Not that I believe the sentiment, would you mind asking your husband to express something similar at even one press conference… to show an ounce of humanity?? https://t.co/yatrjNgXnR
— Cathal Kennedy (@CathalKennedy1) April 24, 2020
It’s also instructive to recall that Melania has also been a proponent of preventing online bullying through her “Be Best” initiative, and yet she has never said a single word about her husband’s angry tweets and attacks on the media, his opponents, and anyone who dares to call him out for one of his endless lies.
If Melania Trump wants to prove her sincerity, she should be willing to put some action behind her empty words of comfort. Otherwise, she’s complicit in her husband’s disgusting actions.