Melania Trump Unveils Memorial Day Jewelry Sale While Staying Mum On Donald's Trial
Not every woman could remain stoic as her husband faced federal charges involving a juicy sex scandal, but Melania Trump apparently isn't as troubled by Donald's trial as everyone thinks. All during the long weeks of the "hush money" trial in Manhattan, the former first lady has stayed put in Mar-a-Lago, refusing to utter so much as a "witch hunt" on the topic of Donald's alleged liaison with Stormy Daniels and the charges he helped approve some creative bookkeeping for the sake of his campaign. On the rare occasions she does surface on social media, Melania tends to stick with either generic holiday greetings or product plugs. Her most recent post fell into the latter category.
On May 23, 2024, the trial was poised to go to the jury after the Memorial Day weekend. Instead of offering words of support or commentary on the case, Melania reposted an ad for the "Fortitude Collection," a line of necklaces to "celebrate our service members, our Nation, and our freedom," as the copy stated. Customers can choose from two engravable medallion designs: an anonymous service member guarding the flag, or an eagle in flight above the word "liberty." The jewelry company isn't the same one that created Melania's Mother's Day necklace, though it did produce her signature line of collectible Christmas ornaments. Even so, the reaction to these new pendants was much the same as the one she got for the "Her Love & Gratitude" necklace: a few words of praise along with a lot of jeering.
The Trumps' merchandising efforts aren't winning many fans
Die-hard Melania Trump fans thought the medallions she advertised for Memorial Day ($125 for the stainless-steel version, $175 for gold-plated) were beautiful and patriotic. Other followers were less complimentary. "Melania is peddling cheap merch because MAGA suckers will buy anything," declared one critic on X. "It's ugly and gaudy, just like she is," went another snark. A follower on Instagram was even harsher: "Fresh from the discount bin of the Liberace House of Crap." And yet another detractor asked whether proceeds from the sales are actually going to veterans; the ad says nothing of the sort.
Still, at least the mementos are usable as jewelry, which is more than can be said for Lara Trump's latest cash grab for the Trump campaign. Donald Trump's daughter-in-law recently urged the "1% of true Trump Republicans" to donate at least $100 to the cause — and preferably much more — in exchange for a personalized metal "Black Trump Card." Despite its resemblance to a credit card, this token can't be used for purchases (or anything else). This, just weeks after Lara told MAGA followers on X to save up their money for "a later date" if they couldn't spare even $5 at the time.
For those who do have a few extra bucks to drop on one of Melania's respect-the-military collectibles, another X user offered some sound advice: "Put clear nail polish on it so it doesn't turn your neck green."