 "From Syria to Ukraine, Melania has been Trump's secret advisor for years: Report")
With recent revelations, it appears that one of the most influential advisors of US President Donald Trump is not even a part of the government.
From the Syrian Civil War to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it now appears that US First Lady Melania Trump has been a key driving force behind Trump’s foreign policy. While Trump has briefly acknowledged her positions on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, her broader role has largely been unreported.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that Melania has been the driving force behind Trump’s policy on Syria and Ukraine.
There are indications that Melania has had a role in the change of Trump’s tone regarding Gaza as well.
How Melania moved Trump’s policy on Syria, Ukraine
In the first term (2017-21), Melania was a “key factor” behind Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes on then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to The Telegraph.
In April 2017, in opposition to his stated position of non-interventionism, Trump ordered the launch of airstrikes on Assad's forces in response to a chemical attack that the regime carried out on Syrians opposed to his rule. Dozens of civilians were killed in the attack, including children.
Trump said at the time that the airstrikes were meant “to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons”. It was the first time that the United States directly attacked Assad’s military.
The Telegraph has reported that Melania’s position on the situation in Syria was a key factor that shaped Trump’s decision. A former White House official told the newspaper that she was horrified by videos of children dying from the chemical attack in Syria’s Khan Shaykun and impressed upon her husband the need to act.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe former official said that Melania was “highly influential” in that decision.
“I think she reacts to human suffering as a mom, without a policy or political filter, and shares her gut reaction with her husband,” the official said.
In the second term, there have been indications that Melania’s criticism of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s defiance of promises to her husband have influenced the shift in the US policy. Trump has said that his wife had flagged to him the discrepancy between Putin’s words and actions.
In repeated conversations with Trump, Putin had expressed openness to end the war. In most of the cases, however, the Trump-Putin call coincided with large Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine. Putin has so far rejected every ceasefire proposal from Trump and has persisted with his maximalist demands.
“I go home, I tell the first lady: ‘I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation’. She said: ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit,’” said Trump last month as he made an apparent shift in his approach to the war in Ukraine.
Last month, Trump announced fresh weapon deliveries to Ukraine and gave Putin a 50-day ultimatum to end the war on Ukraine. He later reduced it to 10 days on July 28.
Trump has referred to Melania during his shift in tone regarding Gaza's hunger crisis as well.
“She thinks it’s terrible. She sees the same pictures that you see and we all see. Everybody, unless they are pretty cold-hearted or worse than that, nuts … there’s nothing you can say other than it’s terrible when you see the kids,” said Trump.
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