If “words that come to mind when you think of Donald Trump” were a Family Feud round, I suspect “empathy” and “caring” would see Steve Harvey shoot you one of his trademark bewildered stares.
But maybe not if the show’s pollsters had happened to ask Melania Trump. Yesterday, the First Lady spoke at a White House event honoring military mothers. Melania knows better than most people how to make her husband happy, so she cranked up the flattery tap and doused him in praise. But, judging by the reaction from the crowd, she may have gone a teeny bit too far.
MELANIA: Most know my husband as the strong commander in chief, but his empathy transcends the role–
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 6, 2026
CROWD: *laughs* pic.twitter.com/S36OT51Q5q
“Most know my husband as a strong commander-in-chief. But his empathy transcends the role and shapes a caring leader who constantly remembers each and every American soldier is someone’s child.”
As Melania praised Donald Trump’s incredible empathy and kindness, the audience broke out in giggles. Even Trump himself found this funny, apparently perplexed by a fresh compliment he hadn’t heard before. Melania also allowed herself a smile, probably because she didn’t write this garbage and is seeing it for the first time as she reads it.
Even Trump isn’t buying this one
Trying to act like he knows what the word means
— MF (@FerrieraMel) May 7, 2026
It seems we may have actually hit the limit of Trump’s credulity for flattery. He will happily swallow any amount of being told how smart, mighty, feared, and cunning he is. But if you come at him by praising his kindness and good character, he’ll smell a rat and know you’re buttering him up!
But though this might look like a funny moment of connection between the Trumps and their audience, the reality is pretty dark. Their mutual laughter is because everyone present knows that Trump has zero empathy and little kindness:
👍👍👍👍
— guido (@geno76344176) May 7, 2026
It’s also lowkey funny that Melania is trying to argue that Trump “remembers each and every American soldier is someone’s child”. This would be the Donald Trump who described Americans who died in war as “losers” and “suckers,” right? The same man who criticized American prisoners of war because “I like people who weren’t captured”?
Maybe the next time Melania is pressganged into publicly massaging her husband’s ego, she’ll skip this part of the speech and focus on buttering up Trump in the traditional sense: as the hottest president of all time who can’t put a foot wrong and certainly didn’t have anything to do with that nasty Mr Epstein who had absolutely nothing to do with us meeting each other.
Something like that, anyway.
Published: May 7, 2026 05:54 am