Melania Trump chooses to be First Lady on her own terms — political psychologist

Political psychologist Olena Vostrova stated this on Espreso TV.

“When I read and watched experts who study the Trump family, and study the First Ladies, their lives, their careers, they say that most likely Melania Trump and Donald Trump don’t live together. To influence him the way we dream of, they would at least need to live together. She is not in the White House,” Vostrova said.

She recalled that during the first term she rarely appeared there.

“And that was her protest, because she was broken and very traumatized by the whole story of her husband’s sex scandals. At that time she didn’t speak out, she wasn’t loud, but she began to speak through her clothing. As someone who belongs to the fashion world, she expressed a lot with her outfits. And in the second term, if you remember her inaugural outfit, that look, her clothing, it impressed everyone. First of all, she appeared very strict,” the political psychologist declared.

Vostrova said that Melania Trump essentially conveyed to Americans how she values her boundaries.

“Her position of not following White House traditions was a kind of protest, because she decided to be First Lady on her own terms. And when Trump leaned in to kiss her, at that moment—you remember—he couldn’t reach her cheek, because there was a boundary. And I remember his expression: a disappointed man, rejected publicly before the whole world. It was very unpleasant for him. His face darkened, his lips tightened, and then he made that trademark smile, which revealed how vulnerable he was at that moment. And to all Americans she sent the signal: ‘I will be First Lady on my own terms.’” she added.

In the psychologist’s opinion, she became “a half-faced lady” — meaning, “I will roll my eyes, I will show some emotions, but you will not see them.”

“And in the first days, the first month of Trump’s presidency, Americans began to ask: ‘Where is our First Lady? Why did Trump become the number one newsmaker in the world, while the First Lady stood out precisely by being invisible?’ Then they began inviting her to some official events. And she also said in an interview: ‘If needed, I will attend some events. If not, I have my own affairs, I am independent, autonomous, and what is called detached.’” Vostrova noted.

The psychologist added that she is detached from Trump, as well as from the entire First Lady role.

“She is independent, she demonstrates quite a strong position, but she is also an opportunist. In other words, she likes her role. She did not refuse it, she did not divorce Trump. She decided to use her status for personal enrichment,” she concluded.