First Lady Melania Trump is speaking out after protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol.
While noting she has “[carried] many individual’s stories home with me in my heart” over her time as the first lady, Trump said in a statement on Monday that her “heart goes out to” those whose lives were lost due to the U.S Capitol riot. She added, “I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time.”
“I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week,” Trump said.
She continued:
“I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.”
The first lady then condemned the riot that occurred.
“Our Nation must heal in a civil manner,” Trump said. “Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol. Violence is never acceptable.”
Noting she is “proud of our freedom to express our viewpoints without persecution,” Trump said, “I would like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and look at things from all perspectives.”
“We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us.
It is inspiring to see that so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election, but we must not allow that passion to turn to violence. Our path forward is to come together, find our commonalities, and be the kind and strong people that I know we are.”
Touching on the natural disasters and coronavirus pandemic, the first lady shared that a “common thread in all of these challenging situations is American’s unwavering resolve to help one another.”
She then encouraged Americans, “Each of you are the backbone of this country. You are the people who continue to make the United States of America what it is, and who have the incredible responsibility of preparing our future generations to leave everything better than they found it.”
In her conclusion, Trump said, “Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation.”
Trump noted it has been “the honor of my lifetime to serve as your First Lady.”
Her remarks come as House Democrats are expected to vote on a resolution at the beginning of this week to urge Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to remove President Donald Trump from office. Then the House Democrats plan to bring impeachment legislation to the floor. Some Republicans in Congress have also called for the president to resign.