Says She Was Too Busy Photographing a Rug
Mrs. Trump said it was her “duty” as first lady to archive the contents of the White House, which is not exactly true. The White House curator and the White House Historical Association are predominantly responsible for keeping a record of the contents of the official White House collection.
“As with all first ladies who preceded me, 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,” she continued. “As required, we scheduled January 6, 2021, to complete the work on behalf of our Nation.”
Trump’s response comes several weeks after Stephanie Grisham, her former chief of staff, revealed a text message exchange in which the former first lady responded to a tweet Grisham had drafted calling for the violence on Capitol Hill to stop as it was happening. The then-first lady responded with the word, “no,” declining to send a statement condemning the insurrection.
Had I been fully informed of all the details, naturally, I would have immediately denounced the violence that occurred at the Capitol Building,” Mrs. Trump said.
“I can dispute every single thing that she said today with emails, with texts, and also I sent her a text saying, ‘Do you want to condemn violence?’” Grisham insisted. “If she didn’t know what I was talking about, why didn’t she say ‘What violence?’ Instead she just said ‘No.’ It rings to me as not true. It’s nonsense and it takes away from what’s going to happen tonight.”
Melania Trump waited until five days after the riot to tweet a condemnation of the violence.
