White House trade adviser Peter Navarro ignited a frenzied backlash online after comparing Melania Trump to Jackie Kennedy ahead of the first lady’s speech at the Republican convention. The likeness was apparently lost on critics.
“I find her to be the Jackie Kennedy of her time – the beauty, the elegance, the soft-spokenness. I think she’ll deliver a powerful message to the American people,” Navarro told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday, referring to the first lady, who is set to speak at the RNC later in the evening.
Peter Navarro calls birther Melania Trump the Jackie Kennedy of her time. pic.twitter.com/97zErN44om
The comparison sent heads exploding on Twitter, where critics of the president vehemently objected to any likeness between the two first ladies.
“[Navarro] should be arrested for making such a horrific and untrue comparison,”wrote one outraged commenter.
WH adviser calls Melania Trump, who cut down Jackie Kennedy’s trees from the Rose Garden, the “Jackie Kennedy of her time” https://t.co/803Gx82fow I’ve met Melania, and believe me, she’s no Jackie Kennedy. Fuck off #PeterNavarro
Peter Navarro just told Andrea Mitchell Melania Trump is the Jackie Kennedy of our time…yeah I can totally see the similarities pic.twitter.com/cjekdUJ0x4
Calling Melania the Jackie Kennedy of our time is a big insult. Mrs. Kennedy had grace, class and charm. Melania has none of those. pic.twitter.com/hEqTnMwFld
Navarro’s remarks also coincided with a project spearheaded by the first lady to renovate the White House’s rose garden, whose 1962 design was overseen by the Kennedys during JFK’s administration, cut short by his assassination a year later. Though Melania maintained that the initiative would return the garden “to its original ‘62 footprint,” critics were horrified by the end result, saying the renovation would have Kennedy “rolling in her grave.”
Melania Trump has ‘renovated’ the Rose Garden in the White House (photo on the left) that was originally designed by Jackie Kennedy as a tribute to her husband John (photo on the right). Melania killed it- literally. Stone cold heart. #MelaniaRuinsEverything@FLOTUSpic.twitter.com/tYYj1xjSUn
Idk why everyone’s surprised! She ripped out history from the ground. Literally. She doesn’t care about it. Jackie Kennedy would be rolling in her grave over her ripping out memorial trees for her husband.
The first lady will deliver the keynote address to the RNC on Tuesday night. Her speech is expected to focus on her experiences in the White House, second term goals for the Trump administration and her ‘Be Best’ children’s initiative. Her chief of staff Stephanie Grisham told MSNBC on Tuesday morning that “every word in this speech” would come from the first lady, following allegations that portions of her 2016 RNC address were plagiarized from Michelle Obama.
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