An MSNBC panel expressed confusion and curiosity after former First Lady Melania Trump posted a video defending her nude modeling career. While the panel did not focus on the nudity itself, they highlighted the contradiction between Mrs. Trump’s message and the Republican Party’s stance on sexual content.
“It’s clear Melania is out again. She’s beautiful and celebrating her naked, beautiful body. I applaud her, right? Do it. I find it fascinating with 49 days to go, that was the message that the spouse of the candidate thought was most central,” said host Nicolle Wallace.
In the video, Mrs. Trump compared her commercial nude modeling to Renaissance artwork, showcasing her pride in celebrating the human form. However, Wallace admitted she was still unclear on the broader point of the video. “Yes, she’s beautiful. I guess, in her view, she’s as beautiful as the sculptures?” Wallace said. “You go, girl. And your husband is on the ballot. In your husband’s view, this election is everything… what are they doing?”
Professor Maya Wiley questioned whether Melania’s message was coordinated with Donald Trump’s campaign, noting that while Mrs. Trump has every right to express herself, it seemed out of sync with the campaign’s urgent tone. “Melania Trump should be able to be who she wants to be. For what she wants to do, and that includes taking her clothes off. No judgment there on her,” Wiley remarked.
The panel also discussed the long-standing hypocrisy surrounding Melania’s nudity, as Republicans have often criticized figures like Michelle Obama for minor fashion choices, such as wearing sleeveless dresses. The stark contrast between Melania’s video and the Republican Party’s broader push to ban books for being “too sexual” or featuring LGBTQ+ characters was not lost on the panel.
Columnist Molly Jong-Fast highlighted this inconsistency: “They want to ban books. So this cannot be taken in a vacuum. To say that the media is somehow the villain? You are the wife of the presidential candidate. They want to ban books.”
The discussion left the panel questioning why, with only 49 days until the election, Melania Trump’s message focused on defending her modeling career rather than addressing her husband’s campaign priorities.