Curley: Melania Trump’s speech revives a long history of First Ladies going rogue

All right, here’s the most shocking part of First Lady Melania Trump’s speech that she gave yesterday, which was six minutes long.

To walk from the West Wing over the East Wing, where the First Lady’s office is, and a staff of about 25, it’s about a three-minute walk. Two minutes if you’re moving briskly and you don’t stop to talk to anybody. That’s the distance. You ready for this?

The president and the president’s people, again separated by a hallway, were unaware of the fact that she was going to give this speech. They didn’t know. No one had told them. So when they were asked to respond to it, they’re like, “Well, hey, well, huh, what’s going on?”

The media loves this story. This is a perfect example of one side not knowing what the other side is doing, or it could just simply be plausible deniability. “We didn’t know. We had no idea she was going to do something.”

People, right now at this point, are trying to tear apart as to why she did it. Was it because she got sick and tired of it, and they kept telling her to be quiet, and she decided to come forward, because she’s her own person? Is it because they wanted to deflect against the stories and all the stories flying around about Iran and Israel? Was it trying to get out ahead of another story? No one knows. There is a bunch of speculation that’s worth the paper that it’s written on.

Eleanor Roosevelt

But the media loves stories when the First Lady goes against the president, or at least seems to have a voice of her own. Eleanor Roosevelt, she was the first female to actually have her own press conferences and, by the way, only women were allowed at those press conferences. She also had her own column in the newspaper, I think, two or three times a week. Her husband, by the way, also her distant relative, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, occasionally had to go on the offensive to defend or support Eleanor. Americans, by and large, were uneasy with her, and Mrs. Roosevelt was quite outspoken.

Betty Ford

Then along comes Betty Ford. Betty Ford, this is like 30 years later, takes up the mantle that Eleanor had left behind, and she made some comments that really caused some problems for the White House.

“I feel very strongly that it was the best thing in the world when the Supreme Court voted to legalize abortion, and, in my worth, bring it out of the backwoods and put it in the hospitals where it belongs,” Betty Ford said. “I thought it was a great, great decision.”

That interview on 60 Minutes rocked the Republican Party because they were adamantly opposed to what was happening when it comes to abortion, and they also saw it as an indication that Ford was weak and liberal, but Betty pressed on.

“I do not believe that being First Lady should prevent me from expressing my ideas,” Betty Ford continued.

Nancy Reagan

And then Nancy Reagan, of course, everybody knows Nancy was ruling the White House with an iron fist after the assassination attempt on her husband. She would consult an astrologer when it came to the scheduling of things and the locations for where the president would be. She stood by her man, much like Tammy Wynette. Much like, well, Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton

“I’m not sitting here as some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette,” Hillary Clinton said. “I’m sitting here because I love him and I respect him, and I honor what he’s been through and what we’ve been through together. And you know, if that’s not enough for people, then, heck, don’t vote for him.”

Yeah, heck, don’t. She gave that speech in ’91 before the president was elected, before he got in there. And then what happens right after that? The next day? Guess who? She gets a letter from Tammy Wynette. Tammy says, “I, with all that is in me, resent your caustic remark. I, with no apologies, am as angry as I can be with your statement, Mrs. Clinton. You have offended every woman and man who loved that song, several million in number. I believe you have offended every country as well, making it your own.”

Then she goes on to say that I will appear with you on any forum, anywhere on stage. Go toe to toe with you.

“I can assure you, in spite of your education, you will find me as bright as yourself,” Tammy Wynette said.

Michelle Obama

And, of course, Michelle Obama, remember when she unloaded with this one?

“And let me tell you something, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback,” Michelle Obama said.

Cindy McCain came right back at her over the patriotism flap.

“I’m proud of my country. I don’t know about you, but if you heard those words earlier, I’m very proud of my country, and I’m proud,” Cindy McCain said in response. “I’m proud to be a person who has voted in elections, and I hope that all of you will do so today.”

It’s hard because the candidate’s messaging has to align with the spouse. Sometimes it’s difficult, like threading a needle. How do you present the couple as a couple without diminishing one partner or the other at the same time? Allowing America to see the spouse, male or female, as a strong, thoughtful individual, capable of holding their own. Let’s face it, we do judge. Everybody does this. You judge the person they’re with, whoever the person is. I like him. I can’t stand her. You go out with a couple, go out to dinner. You’re like, “Oh my gosh, not those guys. I can’t stand him.” The wife likes the wife, but the husband doesn’t like the husband. And thanks for a long, uncomfortable dinner and, sometimes, a long, uncomfortable four years.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Now we get a chance to meet Gavin Newsom’s wife. Maybe you’ve seen her before, but she’s decided she has a few things to say. And I don’t know what Gavin Newsom said to this, but man, the Republicans are having a field day.

“I’ve given our boys dolls, even if they tear the head off,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom said. “I’ve given them dolls to learn that care and caregiving is not just an activity that’s reserved for women, but that it’s also an activity that is a responsibility of men. At the end of the day, we’re all kind of like in this place in history, maybe, where we’re recognizing what it is to ultimately deconstruct all these gender roles and ultimately be human. And that’s exciting to me. So, I’ll just continue to kind of do my work and try and deconstruct all of these limiting narratives about ultimately what it means to be human.”

Limiting narratives. When it came to Gavin Newsom responding to this, he really limited his narrative by not saying anything at all, and then she dug herself deeper.

“Alt, right, extreme, Jordan Peterson-types speaking to my sons,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom continued. “It’s insane, connected to the sports culture, that’s not healthy. Are you kidding? So then our boys are learning hate.”

Connecting to sports culture, learning hate, bigotry, what else? What else is on that list? Misogyny? OK, now throw in racism. There we go. Anything else?

“It’s very dangerous, you know?” Jennifer Siebel Newsom continued. “And I think we have to take responsibility, and we have to hold those in leadership in tech accountable, because they’re making all this money, and they’re leaving our world and a very, very dangerous place.”

Well, I’ll tell you, the dangerous place is right now between Gavin Newsom and a voter, because of those bizarre, foreign, generally weird comments made by his wife. He’s not going to be able to dig out from underneath that. You know the Republicans will make an ad out of it, and then you’ll just have Gavin Newsom a couple of months from now, tearing his hair out, which won’t be easy, because it’s pretty greasy, and it’s his best characteristic.

This post is a transcript of the video at the top of the post. It was edited for clarity.

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