Melania Trump Breaks Silence on Capitol Riots Incited by Husband But Doesn’t Blame Him

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SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty First Lady Melania Trump

First Lady Melania Trump made her first public statement on Monday about last week's U.S. Capitol riots and did not blame her husband for the unprecedented violent insurrection he incited.

Mrs. Trump, 50, wrote that she is "disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week" and encouraged Americans to "stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color of a person's skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness."

Her husband, President Donald Trump, has been criticized across the globe for inciting last Wednesday's riots, which left five people dead — including a U.S. Capitol police officer — and the country shaken.

In an hour-long speech earlier on Wednesday, Trump, 74, angrily laid out baseless conspiracy theories about his 2020 election loss to President-elect Joe Biden, told his supporters they needed to "fight like hell," and encouraged the crowd to march to the U.S. Capitol building, saying that they'll "never take back our country with weakness."

The House of Representatives is expected to introduce an impeachment charge Monday that would hold Trump accountable for "incitement of insurrection," ABC News reported.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Rioters at the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday

Jon Cherry/Getty Images Riots at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021

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The first lady was reportedly overseeing a photo shoot inside the White House during the U.S. Capitol invasion, according to a CNN, and appeared to lash out at the report in her remarks Monday.

"I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda," she wrote. "This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain."

The first lady's office made no public remarks last Wednesday and two top aides in her office, including her Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham, resigned afterwards.

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CNN was also first to report Monday that Mrs. Trump's statement included identical lines from her speech last August during the Republican National Convention.

In 2016, Mrs. Trump's RNC speech was infamously accused of plagiarizing former First Lady Michelle Obama's 2008 remarks at the Democratic National Convention.

In her statement Monday, Mrs. Trump writes: "Our country's strength and character have revealed themselves in the communities that have been impacted by natural disasters and throughout this terrible pandemic that has affected all of us. The common thread in all of these challenging situations is American's unwavering resolve to help one another."

During her RNC speech last August, she said: "My husband and I have visited many places that have been affected by natural disasters and we are deeply moved by the strength of the people who have lost everything and the kindness of neighbors and communities. The common thread in all of these challenging situations is the unwavering resolve to help one another."