The Most Consequential Recent First Lady
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The most consequential first lady of modern times was Melania Trump. I know, I know. We are supposed to believe it was Hillary Clinton, with her unbaked cookies and her pantsuits and her valiant but doomed attempts at health-care reform. But Melania Trump redefined the role of FLOTUS—by rejecting it.
Back in 2017, she made a half-hearted effort at holding down what I believe to be the world’s most thankless job, and then she decided, like Bartleby the Scrivener, that she would prefer not to. Even more surprisingly, it turned out that no one could force her. For decades, we have been assured that American voters want an unblemished nuclear family—a supportive spouse and smiling children—in the White House. The Trumps smashed that norm, along with many others. In this year’s primary season, as her husband cruises toward renomination, Melania has largely remained out of the public eye: On her to-do list over the past few months, according to reports, has been to renegotiate her prenup. This is not how it is supposed to be.
Perhaps, though, every first lady in modern times has been
