First Ladies aren’t elected officials, but they’re still in a position of incredible power and influence. Traditionally, the president’s spouse uses their platform to take up a specific cause to advocate for. For Michelle Obama, it was her “Let’s Move” campaign of encouraging healthy behaviors, especially in youths. Laura Bush campaigned for literacy. Hillary Clinton fought for health care reform. But Melania Trump has been oddly silent. It was once said that she would campaign to fight cyberbullying, to which pretty much the whole world replied, “Have you met your husband?”
But then Melania’s staff said there was no cyberbullying campaign, and that calling it that is “too focused.” Instead, her work, whenever she started it, would be more “holistic,” and try to help children by looking at “everything they’re facing as a group.”
Yesterday, Melania Trump finally unveiled what would be her actual plan, and, well, it sure does tackle “everything.” The youth-based initiative will center on three disparate pillars: “well-being, social media use and opioid abuse.”
The initiative is titled “Be Best.” Yeah, people have some thoughts on that name, both regarding its grammar as well as its vagueness.
“Be best” sounds like an entire campaign based on an autocorrect error
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) May 7, 2018
Be Best could be better.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) May 7, 2018
— Jesse Sachs (@JesseSachs) May 7, 2018
Not to mention the fact that the line feels awfully familiar.
Melania Trump has a new campaign called Be Best. Step One: Steal Michelle Obama’s Be Better line and try to one up her.
— Fred G. Sanford (@uglyauntesther) May 7, 2018
Melania: Michelle said be better. Well I say be best! Suck on that!
Everyone: but be best at what?
Melania: just be best
Everyone: but we don’t underst—
Melania: BE BEST
Everyone: what do you mean by b—
Melania: JUST BE BEST. BE BESTEST
Everyone: *backs away slowly* https://t.co/MqHlxn9LlJ
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) May 7, 2018
Speaking of things the Obamas did first…
lmao… the White House/Melania Trump Be Best pamphlet about your kids being online is almost the exact same thing that the FTC published in Jan. 2014:
2014: https://t.co/s14hU9e6Cc
2018: https://t.co/dNas3LM8UP pic.twitter.com/WJTobZAPC1
— Ryan Macc (@RMac18) May 7, 2018
Pardon me, but, are we allowed to drag Melania for her Be Best campaign being a straight up plagiarized pamphlet that the Obama administration released in 2014?
Or do we have to pretend not to notice like Michelle Obama did when Melania plagiarized her speech in 2016?
Confused.
— Sarah’s Lies and Smokey Eyes (@BravenakBlog) May 7, 2018
Again, when Melania Trump talks about cyberbullying, people have wondered if she’s trolling us, or maybe trolling her husband, considering being a huge bully online is one thing he really is good at. But Donald’s not the only Trump who’s been less than “best.”
Never forget:
When Melania had a chance to “Be Best” she chose ”Be a Birther”https://t.co/zpo8rVtpS3 via @youtube
— Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) May 7, 2018
The Melania Trump campaign against online bullying reminds me of Lady MacBeth’s crusade against war.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) May 7, 2018
All in all, the Be Best campaign seems designed to make our brains bleed, and in that, congratulations, Melania. You’re being best.
I am 99% sure Melania called the program “Be Best” (which, let’s be honest, is a very stupid name) so people would be really mean about it on the Internet so she could have examples of bullying readily available
— elan gale (@theyearofelan) May 7, 2018
(image: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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