Melania Trump turned 49 on Friday and the White House marked the first lady’s special day by posting birthday wishes and a photograph of her on Twitter.
But many tweeters questioned what they believed was a strange image choice:
Happy Birthday, @FLOTUS! pic.twitter.com/qwUwcod5LC
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 26, 2019
The photo from March shared by the official White House account showed Melania Trump sat alone on an Oval Office couch as photographers snapped pictures of her husband, President Donald Trump, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who were nearby but out of shot in this particular photo.
Here is the scene from another angle:
Twitter users described the supposedly celebratory post as “sadness personified,” “so strange” and “lame.”
This is rather odd. Should we get #freeMelania trending again? https://t.co/oAjrMo9dFx
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) April 26, 2019
Don't you like her? https://t.co/piOqb7vB6K
— Myles Davies (@mylesdavies) April 27, 2019
Why this photo?!?!?! https://t.co/YKVzIL1yWO
— Nicholas Hautman (@nickhautman) April 26, 2019
Does this make anyone else sad? Why would any PR person choose this as a birthday picture? https://t.co/Loh7g21ypP
— Julie Wilcox WX (@JulieWilcoxWX) April 26, 2019
This is normal 🙃
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) April 26, 2019
She looks happy.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 26, 2019
The psychology of this is so weird - is it a load of cameras and microphones focused on her husband who is just out of shot, and sitting like a "good wife" waiting for him to finish?!
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) April 26, 2019
Happy birthday! https://t.co/H63Z090Abc
To wish her a happy birthday, you posted a picture of the first lady looking miserable in a room full of people with their microphones and cameras pointed at someone else in the room? Classy 🤣🤣🤣
— Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) April 26, 2019
This is SO STRANGE
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) April 26, 2019
What is "Sadness Personified?"
— Dylan Brody (@dylanbrody) April 26, 2019
I'll take Tweet Titles for 800, Alex. https://t.co/UO1aNYf6ob
— Lauren Werner 🗽 (@LaurenWern) April 26, 2019
This is a really lame picture. Why not wish her a happy birthday with a picture of her doing something?
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) April 26, 2019
— GuillaumeTC (@GuillaumeTC) April 26, 2019
Wow what a happy one 😂
— Ali Dahmash (@AliDahmash) April 27, 2019
This is the saddest birthday picture EVER.
— Sweet Caroline 🌊🇺🇸🌊 (@CarolinaGhoul) April 27, 2019
This is depressing and cheerless and rather creepy. And very sad.
— Rogue EPA (@RogueEPAstaff) April 27, 2019
This photo is completely bizarre. No one in it is focusing on Melania, and she clearly has no interest in anyone in the room.
— Tanya Miller (@xwordtanya) April 27, 2019
So, on second thought, completely appropriate. Well played.
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