Melania Trump’s Documentary Is Forcing an Uncomfortable Conversation About the ‘Weird, Antiquated’ First Lady Role
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There’s plenty of controversy surrounding Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania, but the film might be highlighting an issue that’s been brewing at the White House long before the Donald Trump administration.
First ladies usually wait until after they leave Washington, D.C., to pursue financial opportunities, but Melania is doing it during Donald Trump’s second administration, which might set a new precedent in the future. Free Melania author Kate Bennett told CNN that Melania might be rewriting the role of the first lady.
“We’re watching somebody with perhaps one of the biggest global platforms in the world choose to use it primarily when she has a promotional endeavor,” she explained while noting that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“You do have to ask the question – is that so bad? The role of first lady is such a weird, antiquated role. Women do put their lives on hold, their incomes on hold, just because their husbands were elected,” Bennett added. “And is it time, in 2026, to think about the role differently?”
Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, spoke with SheKnows in August 2023 and noted that the first lady position was primed for a reshaping.
“I always felt that she didn’t want to be the first lady, and she was unapologetic about it,” Brower said. “She wasn’t interested in doing what we expected of her.” Melania “lowered the bar” of expectations for the first lady duties, which is an unpaid position.
While Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton put their careers on hold during their husbands’ time in office, Jill Biden taught English at a local community college while Joe Biden was in the White House. The tide might be turning when it comes to how Americans view the role of the first lady. She should be able to pursue her own opportunities, which might be an unexpected lesson from a film generating lots of headlines.
“She’s the most obviously unknowable first lady,” Brower told The New York Times in July 2023. “First ladies are expected to want to please people and I’m not sure she really cares.”
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