Melania Trump has opted out of the traditional White House meeting with First President Joe Biden and Lady Jill Biden over scheduling conflicts with her new memoir, CNN reported. However, the decision has not been made final.
Jill reached out to Melania Trump while Joe did the same with the President-elect just last week. The tradition is representative of a seamless transition of power. When the internet caught wind of what happened, many began critiquing the former First Lady for her actions. Here's how one user reacted:
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"What a classless move."
Several concurred:
"Trump and Melanie - no class. No love for the United States to make them want to honor our history & customs. Already making me ashamed it's going to be a long 4 years. I've always been very proud of First Lady Dr Biden," one user penned.
"Dr. Jill Biden is a wonderful First Lady full of class and caring. She was following The time honored protocol to invite the incoming First Lady to the White House. This is Melania's second refusal. No class," another asserted.
"So proud of our POTUS and FLOTUS. Peaceful transfer of power. Invites to onboard them for next term. Nothing like Trump when he lost in 2020. Class act POTUS and FLOTUS," somebody else cheered on.
"Class vs Classless. Dr Jill Biden is a national treasure. Melania is a national disgrace," another noted.
Scores online began weighing in with pointed and cutthroat remarks:
"Melania Trump was the worst First Lady in history. She doesn’t even belong in the same room as our current First Lady, Dr Jill Biden," somebody stated.
"The Trumps have zero class," another user declared.
"Jill Biden has been through enough. Why bother. She's probably relieved. Plus we don't know if Melania will have anything to do with the first lady act this time. She doesn't care. Do we?" another probed.
"Melania's like...I've been there, and I know where the red Christmas trees are. I'm good," somebody else joked.
However, others defended Melania Trump, asserting that she isn't new to the tradition, and so, she probably doesn't need to be there.
Melania Trump “ain’t going" to Jill Biden's tea party, insider reveals
According to Hindustan Times, Melania Trump bucked the long-standing tradition due to her dismay over the Biden-sanctioned FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. Sources close to the outlet have revealed that Melania “ain’t going," and that the Bidens were "disgusting."
"Jill Biden’s husband authorized the FBI snooping through her underwear drawer."
They continued, noting that Jill Biden is not someone the “incoming first lady is keen to meet," even if it is in the name of tradition. Per CNN, there were discussions about nudging the former First Lady to attend the meeting.
According to the Washington Examiner, Goldman Sachs’s John F.W. Rogers was Melania's aide in moving into the White House. Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in a statement to Semafor,
"Four successive Goldman CEO’s have relied heavily on John’s judgment and execution capability. He will be highly valuable in any role he performs for the new administration.”
Notably, Donald Trump echoed his wife's actions in 2020, when Biden won the elections. The reaction was prompted by the former contested the outcome. Per CNN, the two are slated to meet on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
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