Political Tribune

2024, Analysis, Donald Trump, Melania

Melania Trump Tries To Complain About Food And Gas Prices, Internet Instantly Makes Her Regret It

Let them eat cake!

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590 points

DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on September 8, 2024

Melania Trump has largely maintained a low public profile since leaving the White House. But when she recently attempted to join the conversation about rising food and gas prices in America, the internet swiftly reacted—and not in her favor. In a tweet featuring a video clip, Melania voiced concern over inflation’s impact on American households, specifically regarding basic necessities like food and gas. However, her tweet didn’t include any substantive commentary on the issue, merely linking to her personal website, melaniatrump.com, which primarily promotes her memoir.

While her message may have been intended to connect with the economic struggles of everyday Americans, Melania’s attempt quickly turned into an online spectacle, with social media users pointing out the irony of a former first lady, who has lived in lavish wealth for decades, appearing to complain about inflation without offering solutions. The combination of her tweet, her promotion of her book, and her past association with her husband’s political stance on economic issues led to an intense backlash, with people mocking her tone-deaf approach to a very real issue.

The Tweet That Sparked a Backlash

The tweet from Melania Trump featured a short video clip, in which she mentions the challenges Americans face due to rising food and gas prices. However, the tweet contained no additional information or suggestions on how to address the issue. Instead, it simply directed people to visit her website. Once there, the first thing that greeted visitors was the promotion of her memoir, further amplifying the perception that the tweet was less about expressing concern and more about driving sales for her book.

The internet was quick to criticize her apparent tone-deafness. While there were some supportive comments for Melania, there was a lot of backlash too.

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This is her website’s landing page:

Selling the Struggle or Selling a Book?

Melania Trump’s website is largely dedicated to promoting her memoir, as well as other initiatives tied to her post-White House life. But her decision to tie a message about economic hardship to her personal branding effort was viewed as a cynical ploy. In the video linked in her tweet, she mentioned rising costs but offered no meaningful commentary on how these costs could be mitigated or why they were occurring. Instead, viewers were directed to a website focused on selling merchandise.

This is not the first time the Trumps have been criticized for using their political platform to further their business interests. Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, he and his family were often accused of blurring the lines between their political roles and their personal business dealings. Ivanka Trump, for instance, was frequently called out for promoting her fashion line while serving as a senior advisor in the White House.

Melania’s latest tweet follows in a similar pattern, leaving many to wonder whether her public statements about national issues are more about bolstering her public image—and her sales—than genuinely connecting with the struggles of average Americans.

A Detached Perspective

One of the main critiques levied at Melania’s tweet was the perceived disconnect between her lifestyle and the realities of everyday life in America. As the former first lady, Melania has lived in an extraordinarily luxurious environment, with her residences including a multi-million dollar penthouse in Trump Tower and the sprawling Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. For someone who has had access to vast wealth for much of her life, discussing the challenges of rising food and gas prices came across as out of touch.

As we’ve written before – Trump’s policies create inflation:

When tariffs are imposed on imported goods, the higher costs don’t fall on the foreign producers. They are passed on to American consumers and businesses who rely on these goods. Importers must absorb the cost or, more often than not, pass it along through price increases. This is confirmed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which estimated that the tariffs Trump imposed on China raised consumer costs by about $831 per household per year by 2019 .

But if you want to really understand inflation and the U.S. economy – you’ll need to read our breakdown HERE.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump demanded that the Federal Reserve take aggressive actions to boost the economy, threatening to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell if he didn’t comply (The New York Times). Trump’s pressure on the Fed culminated in a flood of liquidity into the market, causing the M2 money supply to increase by over 25% (Federal Reserve Economic Data). This sharp expansion in the money supply set the stage for inflation.

In addition to pressuring the Federal Reserve, Trump once floated the idea of printing money to reduce the national debt. According to Bob Woodward’s book, Fear: Trump in the White House, Trump suggested, “Just run the presses—print money,” as a solution to the growing debt burden (CNBC). This reckless approach demonstrates Trump’s willingness to use extreme measures in monetary policy, which, if enacted, could have exacerbated inflationary pressures in the economy.

Moving forward – economists are saying the Trump economic plan would “reignite inflation”:

CNBC’ wrote about this as well; their headline was: ‘Trump budget would spike deficits by nearly 5 times Harris proposal, says Penn Wharton’.  They also mentioned Trump’s impact on inflation:

And more broadly, economists warn that such a hard-line tariff policy would likely reignite inflation, just as the rate of consumer price increases has begun to cool.

The implications of a $5.8 trillion increase in the federal deficit under Trump’s economic plan are extensive and concerning. As the national debt escalates, the U.S. government will face higher interest payments, potentially crowding out crucial investments in infrastructure, education, and social programs. Increased government borrowing could also lead to higher interest rates, making it more expensive for businesses and consumers to borrow, thereby stifling economic growth.

Others noted that her husband, former President Donald Trump, has not exactly been a champion for addressing the root causes of inflation. Critics argue that during his presidency, Trump’s economic policies—particularly his focus on tax cuts for the wealthy—contributed to growing income inequality, which has made the current economic situation even more difficult for working-class Americans.

A Missed Opportunity

Melania’s tweet could have been an opportunity to address a pressing issue that many Americans are currently facing. Rising inflation has been a topic of national concern, with gas prices increasing and food prices climbing steeply in recent months. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of groceries has increased significantly, with items like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs seeing the most dramatic price hikes.

Had Melania Trump used her platform to highlight these facts and call for meaningful change, she may have been received differently. Instead, her message came off as self-serving, and the backlash was swift and harsh.

The Trumps and the Art of Self-Promotion

Critics were quick to point out that Melania’s tweet was yet another example of the Trump family’s penchant for self-promotion. From the start of Donald Trump’s political career, his family has been accused of using their platform to enrich themselves. Whether it was Trump-branded hotels, Ivanka’s fashion line, or Jared Kushner’s real estate empire, the lines between the family’s business interests and their political roles were often blurred.

Melania’s tweet only reinforced this narrative. While food and gas prices are undoubtedly a serious concern for millions of Americans, her decision to link this issue to her personal website seemed to many like a thinly veiled attempt to boost her own profile and sales. And the internet, ever quick to call out hypocrisy, was not about to let her off the hook.

In the end, Melania’s attempt to engage with a pressing national issue fell flat. Rather than generating sympathy or sparking a meaningful conversation, her tweet became fodder for online ridicule, with users pointing out the disconnect between her luxurious lifestyle and the struggles of everyday Americans. The result was a PR disaster that left many wondering whether Melania Trump truly understood the challenges that most people face—or if she was simply using those challenges to sell a few more books.

Featured image via Public Domain + AI

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Shay Maz

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Shay Maz has been a political writer for many years. This is a pseudonym for writing; if you need to contact her - you may do so here: https://x.com/SheilaGouldman

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