Miranda Devine lashed out after claiming a new book praises Michelle and directs “thinly veiled criticism” at Melania. The book, ’Melania & Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era’, was deemed “troublesome” by the journalist after author Tammy R. Vigil explained Melania’s “difficulties” with the fact she “followed a popular and competent first lady”. Writing in a New York Post column, Ms Devine described the book as “a mere bipartisan assessment of the public images of both women”.
Ms Devine claimed Melania had not committed “the same errors of arrogant overreach” like other First Ladies before her.
She added: “Melania has the humility to understand that she is not the main game.
“Such command of ego is the first requirement of a First Lady.”
The Journalist went on to claim it was unfair to compare Melania who is “only halfway through her first term with a wildly hostile media” with Michelle “who completed two terms”.
Melania Trump was compared to Michelle Obama (Image: Getty Images)
Miranda Devine believes Melania is receiving abuse because of her husband (Image: Getty Images)
She claimed criticisms of Melania “are more vicious, personal and unrelenting than any First Lady has endured”.
Ms Devine believes the reason for this may be down to her husband and current US President, Donald Trump.
She said: “Clearly, since the President has proven impervious to abuse, his enemies want to get at him through his wife.
“Whatever you think of her husband, you can’t say she has behaved with anything but dignity in her role, despite ugly provocations, which include attacks on her young son, Barron.”
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Melania was criticised for her Christmas decorations (Image: Getty Images)
In the three years, since Melania became First Lady she has been mocked and criticised on numerous occasions for a number of different reasons.
Ms Devine said: “Her Christmas decorations have been pilloried, her accent mocked. She has been depicted as a victim of domestic abuse.”
The First Lady has previously described herself to CNN as one of the “most bullied people in the world”.
The journalist added: “When it comes to the former Ms. Knauss, there are no boundaries to bullying at all.
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Melania was compared to Michelle Obama who completed two full terms as First Lady (Image: Getty Images)
Miranda Devine believes Melania’s comparisons to former First Ladies work in her favour (Image: Getty Images)
“There is nothing she can do right in the eyes of media gatekeepers.”
Despite this, Ms Devine insisted the comparisons of Melania to Hilary Clinton and Michelle works in her favour.
She said: “Melania has not committed the same errors of arrogant overreach and stuck to her humble role perfectly.
“She is a woman whose poise and dignity speaks volumes.
Trump family tree (Image: Daily Express)
“When people say, ‘Poor Melania’, she says, ‘Don’t feel sorry for me. I can handle everything.’”
In her book Ms Vigil notes Melania “ranks among the least liked of all modern first ladies, and her professional life prepared her to serve more as a visual adornment”.
Ms Devine went on to disregard Melania’s branding as an “airhead former model” by pointing out she speaks six languages and had “street smarts” to escape her “impoverished Eastern-bloc country” and re-invent herself in the US.
She said: “She’s no political naïf, either: If your family has experienced communism firsthand, you have a pretty attuned sense of politics and ideology.”
Melania has also been criticised for her past style choices (Image: Getty Images)
The journalist also praised Melania for her handling of summits and meeting with other world leaders and their wives.
She said: “Melania’s schmoozing ability is an asset that shouldn’t be underrated.”
Ms Devine went on to criticise the book for comparing Melania and her predecessors.
She said: “Pitting two women against each other just never gets old, does it?”