Melania Trump’s Facial Expressions During the WHCD Shooting Are the First Time We’ve Seen Her Really Emote
No wonder that moment at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been replayed so often over the last few days. It felt like we were seeing, for the first time, something that Melania has been hiding from us. I’m sure I’m not the only one who watched the footage over and over, mesmerized by this glimpse of genuine emotion: terror. Sitting on the dais between her husband and pregnant White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the first lady appears to be engrossed in conversation. The evening’s entertainer, mentalist Oz Pearlman, hovers over them, trying to guess the name Leavitt has chosen for her unborn child. The moment that shots are heard, Melania stops, mid-conversation. Her back stiffens, and her usually stoic face is visibly gripped by fear. While Trump placidly looks around, seemingly unaware and unbothered, Melania asks, “What happened?” She appears to be the first at her table to dive underneath it. Throughout modern history, first ladies have often served as the empathetic, emotive counterpart to their husbands, who need to remain more manly …