Remember Donald Trump's last inauguration, and Melania's sad look

It was eight years ago. Donald Trump was inaugurated as the new president of the United States, succeeding Barack Obama. This Monday, January 20, the businessman is back at the White House, he launched his inauguration day and is preparing to take the oath of office in Washington. If the eyes of spectators will be fixed on the one who succeeds Joe Biden, some will not fail to observe his wife, Melania Trump. The latter regains her role as First Lady. A label that she does not seem to have appreciated for four years, in spite of herself launching a wave of concern on social networks. However, it all started on the day of her husband's inauguration ceremony, in 2017. Several people quickly noticed the sad face of the first lady, hidden behind her husband.

Then, there was this famous video which caused a buzz on social networks. While Melania Trump smiles and applauds in front of Donald Trump, the latter speaks a few words in her direction just before Barron Trump's mother loses her smile and lowers her eyes. But what did the real estate mogul tell him to make it close so quickly? According to some Internet users, this excerpt corresponds to the moment when Reverend Franklin Graham began his speech, encouraging the audience to return to a more serious tone. At that moment, Donald Trump would have spoken to his son, Barron, present behind his mother.

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Staring into space

Other Internet users are convinced that Melania Trump's attitude is directly linked to her husband. Since this is not the only scene that shows the First Lady with a blank look, lowered eyes and the absence of a smile on her lips. Several photos revealed Melania Trump as being distant from her husband while Michelle and Barack Obama displayed their complicity. Another photo shows Donald Trump quietly listening to a speech without worrying about his wife's blank look and the sadness on her face, like that of a child who has just been punished.

#FreeMelania

Internet users quickly seized the images of the inauguration ceremony and expressed their concern for the American first lady on social networks. The hashtags #FreeMelania and #SadMelania are starting to emerge. The extract in which she loses her smile is transformed into a GIF, repeated endlessly. Some even imagine that the gift that the former model gave to Michelle Obama that day contained a simple note on which it was written: “Help”, (“to help”, in French). This craze also stems from the blunders of Barron Trump's mother observed during Donald Trump's presidential campaign. First ousted by her daughter-in-law, Ivanka Trump, it was then the stylists who shunned her by refusing to dress her. She was also accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama's speech at the Republican convention in July 2016.

“The first time was difficult”

For her return to the White House, Melania Trump seems to have decided to change strategy. While she didn't live in the famous presidential residence during her husband's first term, Barron Trump's mother told Fox News that she planned to divide her time between Washington, New York (for the studies of her son, Barron) and Palm Beach, where their family home is located. Her project: to be first lady part-time. She quickly announced that her top priority would be first “to be a mother,” then “to be a first lady” and finally “to be a wife,” reports Fox News . This time, she is ready to take on these three concurrent roles. “I know the rooms where we are going to live. I know the process. The first time was difficult. We didn't have a lot of information. But this time, I have everything,” she says. A smile might rise on his face this Monday, January 20.