Michelle Obama, known for her candidness and steadfast principles, once made headlines for her unapologetic confession that she had “no sympathy” for Melania Trump after Donald Trump assumed the presidency. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Obama surprised many with her blunt response when asked if she empathized with political spouses who might disagree with their partner’s beliefs.
“No,” she stated firmly. “You know, you have to be in it. If you’re in it, and if you don’t agree, you should have agreed before they ran. The bottom line is, if you didn’t agree with what Barack was saying, I would not support his run. So I stand there proudly, and I hope they are, too, standing with their spouses proudly. So no, no sympathy,” she remarked, according to Vanity Fair.
The conversation also touched on the plagiarism controversy surrounding Melania’s 2016 Republican National Convention speech, which closely mirrored Michelle’s 2008 Democratic National Convention address. When Colbert mentioned the incident, Michelle responded with subtle humor, saying, “Yeah, that was tough,” drawing laughter from the audience. Her composed reaction highlighted her ability to address controversies with grace.
As per CNN, For context, Melania’s RNC speech became infamous for its striking resemblance to Michelle’s earlier address. Melania’s speech included lines like, “From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life… that you treat people with respect…” These words were nearly identical to Michelle’s, sparking widespread allegations of plagiarism.
Although Melania initially claimed she wrote the speech “with as little help as possible,” it was later revealed that a team of writers had copied portions from Obama’s address. Despite Donald Trump’s history of promoting falsehoods about Barack Obama, Michelle ensured a smooth transition of power, as had been done for her by George and Laura Bush.
Reflecting on this in a heartfelt Instagram post, Michelle admitted, “None of this was easy for me. Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that put my family in danger. That wasn’t something I was ready to forgive… But our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego.”
Michelle’s commitment to democracy and civility was evident when she welcomed Melania Trump to the White House to discuss the challenges of being First Lady and raising children in the public eye, demonstrating her ability to prioritize duty over personal grievances.