Ahead of Thursday night’s primetime U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack hearing, Melania Trump is saying she was “unaware” of the violence that took place on January 6, citing her “duties as First Lady,” and blaming her former White House Chief of Staff who she says did not inform her.
“On January 6, 2021, I was fulfilling one of my duties as First Lady of the United States of America, and accordingly, I was unaware of what was simultaneously transpiring at the U.S. Capitol Building,” Fox News reports Melania Trump told them exclusively on Thursday.
The former First Lady’s remarks appear to be in response to those made by her former Chief of Staff, Stephanie Grisham, who resigned on the evening of January 6. Last year Grisham said the First Lady’s refusal to make a statement on January 6 condemning the violence led to her resignation fifteen minutes later.
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Mrs. Trump said, “traditionally, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff provides detailed briefings surrounding our Nation’s important issues.”
“In fact, Ms. Grisham failed to provide insight and information into the events surrounding January 6 as she had abandoned her post in Washington, D.C.,” Fox News says Melania Trump told them. “Shamefully, this behavior has only partially become public knowledge; yet was consistent for Ms. Grisham.”
Fox News did not state if this was an interview or prepared remarks, if it was in person, by telephone, email, fax, or other methods, and if Fox News asked Mrs. Trump any questions.
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Less than 90 minutes before the Fox News report was published The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reported: “The Guardian has also learned, according to another person directly familiar with the matter, that then first lady Melania Trump appeared to choose not to intervene with her husband or try and stop the Capitol attack herself.”
“That day,” Lowell adds, “the person said, Melania Trump was conducting a photoshoot for a new rug for the White House residence and when her then chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, asked if she wanted to tweet condemning the attack, Melania responded curtly: ‘No.'”
Several weeks ago Grisham, who at one point also served as the White House Press Secretary, posted what she suggested was a screenshot of a text between her and the First Lady during the 2021 insurrection.
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“Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness & violence?” the text from Grisham to Mrs. Trump appears to say.
“No,” was the First Lady’s response.
She is now claiming that as First Lady she was too busy fulfilling her duties on January 6 to be aware of the violence, violence that – according to video released Thursday morning by one of the members of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, President Trump spent the day watching on TV from the dining room.
“As with all First Ladies who preceded me,” Mrs. Trump says, according to Fox News, “it was my obligation to record the contents of the White House’s historic rooms, including taking archival photographs of all the renovations.”
“Several months in advance, I organized a qualified team of photographers, archivists, and designers to work with me in the White House to ensure perfect execution,” Trump reportedly said. “As required, we scheduled January 6, 2021, to complete the work on behalf of our Nation.”
“I always condemn violence,” Mrs. Trump reportedly told Fox News.
“Had I been fully informed of all the details, naturally, I would have immediately denounced the violence that occurred at the Capitol Building,” she added.
Responding to the Fox News report, on Twitter Grisham said, “Lol. That’s truly all I’ve got.”