Melania Trump Breaks Her Silence on Capitol Riot

UPDATE: January 11, 2021, 12:30 p.m.— CNN correspondent Kate Bennett has pointed out that Melania Trump may have committed (another) act of copying; this time seemingly stealing from herself. In a tweet Bennett suggests the first lady used similar language from her 2020 Republican National Convention speech in multiple parts of her days-late address following the attack on the Capitol.

You can read the oddly familiar passages below.

ORIGINAL STORY: January 11, 2021, 8:49 a.m.—Melania Trump has broken her silence on the Capitol riot that took place on Wednesday, January 6.

In a lengthy, head-scratching statement released January 11, the first lady says she “condemns the violence” that took place at the Capitol but padded this with language about how she’s “inspired” to see “so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election.” Trump also encouraged people to “look at things from all perspectives,” whatever that means.

She also called out the media for using the riot as a way to to spread “salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations” about her. Interestingly, she didn’t address any of the false information the Trump team spread about the election that directly led to what happened at the Capitol.

“Our Nation must heal in a civil manner,” she wrote. “Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol. Violence is never acceptable.”

She continued, “As an American, I am proud of our freedom to express our viewpoints without persecution. It is one of the paramount ideals which America is fundamentally built on. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect that right. With that in mind, I would like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and look at things from all perspectives.”

The first lady followed this with, “I implore people 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. We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us.”

She then added, “It is inspiring to see that so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election, but we must not allow that passion to turn to violence. Our path forward is to come together, find our commonalities, and be the kind and strong people that I know we are.”

You get the idea: The statement sees Melania Trump simultaneously denouncing the violence that happened at the Capitol while also highlighting freedom of expression.

She ended her statement with vague platitudes about how “it is these defining moments that we will look back and tell our grandchildren that through empathy, strength, and determination, we were able to restore the promise of our future.” Trump then thanked the people who have supported both her and President Donald Trump during their time in office.

“Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation,” she wrote.

Read her full statement here.

Originally Appeared on Glamour