CNN is reporting that officials are annoyed with First Lady Melania Trump for posting comments online that, in their view, contradict or undermine her man-toddler husband’s “tough guy” rhetoric about the protests.
Out of sync with the "law and order" mantra
President Donald Trump has supported, the first lady in a handful of tweets has noted peace and healing.
CNN continues with with a specific incident:
Last week, as the country was waking after a night of protests, Twitter slapped a violation warning on a tweet from the President posted late the night before, labeling protesters as "THUGS," and included the charged phrase, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
Within hours, Trump had turned his ire to Twitter for rebuking him. But at 10 a.m. ET, Melania Trump appeared to align with the social media company, posting: "Our country allows for peaceful protests, but there is no reason for violence."
"As a nation, let's focus on peace, prayers & healing," she added.
That contradiction did not sit well in the West Wing, a White House official told CNN, who noted Trump's antithetical tweeting, "doesn't help. It frustrates the West Wing."
Part of the animus lies in the timing of her tweets, which are often lobbed after her husband has posted something controversial.
"There's a feeling of deliberateness to her timing that makes it seem even more disjointed," said one person familiar with the first lady's actions.
The story notes that Mrs. Trump has done little more than Tweet and has not otherwise taken an active role in responding to the protests. But still, even her off-message Tweets seem to be enough to cause some consternation within the White House.