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Melania Trump Thanked Chelsea Clinton For Defending Her Son In A Heartfelt Tweet
There are few issues that unite the left and right wings of American politics, but one of them is the unspoken rule that presidents' kids are off-limits. After a website attacked the youngest Trump kid this week, one of the few people who understands his unique situation was also one of the first to stand up for him. First Lady Melania Trump thanked Chelsea Clinton for defending Barron from online attacks, overlooking their families' political history to advocate for an important issue.
Earlier this week, the conservative-leaning website The Daily Caller published an article entitled "It’s High Time Barron Trump Starts Dressing Like He’s In the White House," which was solely focused on critiquing the 11-year-old's wardrobe. The author of the article referred to only one set of photos in making this claim, in which Barron Trump is wearing a simple shorts and t-shirt.
"Barron was returning to the White House from New Jersey on Sunday and while the president and first lady traveled in their Sunday best, young Barron looked like he was hopping on Air Force One for a trip to the movie theater," wrote the author.
Clinton was quick to come to Barron's defense, having had similar experiences as a kid when her own father occupied the White House. "Barron is A KID. No child should be talked about in the below manner-in real life or online. And for an adult to do so? For shame," Clinton wrote on Twitter Tuesday.
Melania then responded to Clinton's tweet a few hours later to thank her. "Thank you @ChelseaClinton - so important to support all of our children in being themselves! #StopChildhoodBullying," Melania posted on her FLOTUS Twitter account (though as one Twitter user pointed out, Melania's account is managed by the Office of the First Lady, and she may not have actually had anything to do with the tweet).
The first children are a small but seemingly tight-knit group who tend to look out for each other in special ways. George W. Bush's daughters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush wrote a touching letter to Sasha and Malia Obama when they first moved in to the White House, and Amy Carter, President Jimmy Carter's daughter, offered advice to Chelsea Clinton when she was getting ready for life as a first kid.
The pressures of being in the spotlight at such a young age, for something that you didn't choose and something so consequential, aren't relatable to many people. That's why it's so comforting to see the first children take care of each other — all you want when you're struggling with something huge like being the president's kid is somebody who really gets what you're going through.