Melania Trump:Looking for a platform, and a stylist.

[GrumpyGran]

So, yesterday:

She does a weird association thing. Hospital>nurses>wear a white dress. This is bordering on inappropriate. Number one, it's February and while I am not a no-white-in-winter Nazi, this is a lot of white. Number two, white, in most cultures 'round these parts, is an uplifting, celebratory color. Is she going for an angel vibe?

And the sweater, we've talked about this. She doesn't have it on, just over her shoulders. Why will she not put over-garments on? The little voice in my head says she hopes that the coat/sweater will slip off her shoulders and then the people around her will see the bruises on her arms that she's too embarrassed to show anyone herself.

[onekidanddone]

45 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

So, yesterday:

She does a weird association thing. Hospital>nurses>wear a white dress. This is bordering on inappropriate. Number one, it's February and while I am not a no-white-in-winter Nazi, this is a lot of white. Number two, white, in most cultures 'round these parts, is an uplifting, celebratory color. Is she going for an angel vibe?

And the sweater, we've talked about this. She doesn't have it on, just over her shoulders. Why will she not put over-garments on? The little voice in my head says she hopes that the coat/sweater will slip off her shoulders and then the people around her will see the bruises on her arms that she's too embarrassed to show anyone herself.

Trump is probably practiced enough not to leave any bruises. 

[GreyhoundFan]

I posted an article yesterday about Melania's buddy getting a crapload of money from the inauguration. Well, apparently, she has an "all-access" pass as well as a government phone and computer. I wonder if she has a security clearance? "Melania Trump’s ‘volunteer’ rankles White House staff with her all-access pass"

Spoiler

First lady Melania Trump’s friend and special adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff has enjoyed a unique and eyebrow-raising setup over the past year: In her status as a “contracted volunteer,” the Manhattan socialite has a government-issued phone and computer, as well as a blue badge that grants her total access to the West Wing.

But, unlike other administration officials, the former Vogue event planner continues to live in New York City and pops into the White House only every few weeks, where her on-paper job is to consult with the first lady on her initiatives, according to two White House officials.

That special arrangement has soured colleagues in the White House, who have long seen Wolkoff as a person capitalizing on her relationship with the first lady while offering little in return. “One thing that grates at people is she is supposed to work at the White House, but she still gets to live in New York City,” said one administration official.

But that unique status is now in question, after The New York Times reported on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee paid close to $26 million to an event-planning firm that was founded by Wolkoff, and that she personally pocketed at least $1.62 million from the committee that was supposed to donate any remaining funds to charity.

“Mrs. Trump had no involvement with the [Presidential Inaugural Committee], and had no knowledge of how funds were spent,” said her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.

But now the question circulating in the White House is whether the first lady will take any action to sever ties with the special adviser over her self-enriching setup — quick action that would mark a style change from the West Wing, where the president often dawdles in firing his advisers, or has other people do the deed for him.

Grisham did not shoot down rumors that the first lady is considering cutting off the professional relationship for good. When asked whether Wolkoff would be fired, Grisham said: “Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is a contracted volunteer with the Office of the First Lady and has specified duties as outlined in her contract.” Wolkoff is not paid a government salary.

Inside the White House, the arrangement she enjoys with the first lady has long struck other staffers as odd. “The fact that so much was given to her company has really raised eyebrows,” said one administration official. “That’s a whole lot of money, especially when a bunch of that could have been donated to charity.”

Wolkoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment concerning her future status in the White House. Tom Barrack, a longtime friend of the president's, who served as chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

[Cartmann99]

5 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

And the sweater, we've talked about this. She doesn't have it on, just over her shoulders. Why will she not put over-garments on? The little voice in my head says she hopes that the coat/sweater will slip off her shoulders and then the people around her will see the bruises on her arms that she's too embarrassed to show anyone herself.

Hmm, I hadn't thought about bruises. I just assumed she wore her outer garments like that to make it harder for Trump to hold her hand in public.

[Fascinated]

I’m ashamed to say that when I first saw that photo earlier all I noticed was Melania’s nipple.  

[GrumpyGran]

29 minutes ago, Fascinated said:

I’m ashamed to say that when I first saw that photo earlier all I noticed was Melania’s nipple.  

"I'm so glad you're recovering, please ignore my nipple. Or don't."

[candygirl200413]

I thought it was that awkward dress thing some have that it looks like a nipple but it actually isn't?

[GrumpyGran]

7 hours ago, candygirl200413 said:

I thought it was that awkward dress thing some have that it looks like a nipple but it actually isn't?

I think it is the real deal. How can you have that much money and available staff and not have somebody standing there at the door to say "Oh, hell, no, back in the closet!"

[apple1]

More evidence that money doesn't buy taste. (That outfit, both the dress and the sweater -- well, I just can't with that...)

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, apple1 said:

More evidence that money doesn't buy taste. (That outfit, both the dress and the sweater -- well, I just can't with that...)

Let's face it, it's very unflattering. Unless she's gone on an eating binge in the last week, this thing makes skinny her look matronly. I really do think in her mind, this was the closest she could come to looking like a nurse. Maybe a designer can come up with a line of scrubs for her. 

[pook]

She is totes trying to channel the nurse vibe and as a real nurse I find this highly offensive and creepy.  She knows exactly what she is doing a la good old days of yore her husband's minions are so nostalgic over.  She is as sick as he is.

[apple1]

57 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

Let's face it, it's very unflattering. Unless she's gone on an eating binge in the last week, this thing makes skinny her look matronly. I really do think in her mind, this was the closest she could come to looking like a nurse. Maybe a designer can come up with a line of scrubs for her. 

Yes - I think it is a take-off on nurses from the WWII era - including the navy sweater hanging over her shoulders  like the nurses' navy capes.

I'm older and I am an allied health professional. We also wore white uniforms back in the day -- but even then, we had access to much more flattering styles. Even the dresses were more A-line, shifts, trim, without all the extra fabric. And pantsuits were very common at that time.

Whatever designer came up with that outfit has no right to sell anything again - ever.

[GreyhoundFan]

8 hours ago, apple1 said:

More evidence that money doesn't buy taste. (That outfit, both the dress and the sweater -- well, I just can't with that...)

You forgot the most tasteless thing in her life: her husband.

[onekidanddone]

19 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

You forgot the most tasteless thing in her life: her husband.

I wonder how many parents said "Oh Fuck NO!". to Trump wanting to have a little photo op with their traumatized child recovering from being shot. The one with that little girl in her hospital bed made my blood boil.  Was he thinking "Hey in a few years I'll be dating you". Disgusting of me to say that I know, but that is how vile Orange Shit Stain is. Did he 'comfort' her parents, and then go make the murder of children all about him and the Russia probe?  

[GrumpyGran]

14 hours ago, onekidanddone said:

I wonder how many parents said "Oh Fuck NO!". to Trump wanting to have a little photo op with their traumatized child recovering from being shot. The one with that little girl in her hospital bed made my blood boil.  Was he thinking "Hey in a few years I'll be dating you". Disgusting of me to say that I know, but that is how vile Orange Shit Stain is. Did he 'comfort' her parents, and then go make the murder of children all about him and the Russia probe?  

Admittedly I hate him but that whole photo op made me cringe. Somehow it ended up being about everybody in the room BUT that poor girl. And Hospital Barblania seemed off. Her smile was so fake I wondered if she botoxed on the plane.

[JMarie]

She does look more busty than usual, and I don't think it's the fault of the wrap bodice.  Maybe she's been stress eating?  And, as an RN, I second the trying to look like an old-fashioned nurse thing.  All she's missing is the hat and the nursing pin pinned to her lapel.

[GreyhoundFan]

I don't think she could be more clueless and tone-deaf if she tried: "Melania Trump’s Tweet About ‘Random Acts Of Kindness Day’ Didn’t Go Over Well"

I can't quote here because of all the tweets, but the article is worth a look for all the snark.

[GreyhoundFan]

The WaPo just published this under a "breaking news" banner: "Melania Trump’s parents are legal permanent residents, raising questions about whether they relied on ‘chain migration’"

Spoiler

The parents of first lady Melania Trump have become legal permanent residents of the United States and are close to obtaining their citizenship, according to people familiar with their status, but their attorney declined to say how or when the couple gained their green cards.

Immigration experts said Viktor and Amalija Knavs very likely relied on a family reunification process that President Trump has derided as “chain migration” and proposed ending in such cases.

The Knavses, formerly of Slovenia, are living in the country on green cards, according to Michael Wildes, a New York-based immigration attorney who represents the first lady and her family.

“I can confirm that Mrs. Trump’s parents are both lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent residents,” he said. “The family, as they are not part of the administration, has asked that their privacy be respected so I will not comment further on this matter.”

The Knavses are now awaiting scheduling for their swearing-in ceremony, according to a person with knowledge of the parents’ immigration filings.

Questions over the Knavses’ immigration status have escalated since Trump campaigned for the White House on a hard-line anti-immigration agenda. Those questions grew sharper last month, when the president proposed ending the decades-long ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their parents and siblings for legal residency in the United States.

Trump has repeatedly blasted the long-standing policy as “chain migration.” In last month’s State of the Union, the president called that process a threat to Americans’ security and quality of life. Under his plan, he said, only spouses and minor children could be sponsored for legal residency.

But immigration experts said such a path would have been the most likely method his in-laws would have used to obtain residency that permits them to live in the United States.

Matthew Kolken, a partner at a New York immigration law firm, said there are only two substantive ways Trump’s in-laws could gain green cards: by their daughter sponsoring them or by an employer sponsoring them. The latter is unlikely, as it would require a showing that there were no Americans who could do the job for which they were sought.

Both the Knavses are reportedly retired. In Slovenia, Viktor Knavs, now 73, worked as a chauffeur and car salesman. Amalija Knavs, now 71, was a pattern maker at a textile factory.

David Leopold, an immigration lawyer and a past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the first lady’s sponsorship of her parents appears to be the only reasonable way they would have obtained green cards because the process currently gives preferential treatments to parents of a U.S. citizen.

“That would be the logical way to do it, the preferred way to do it and possibly the only way to do it under the facts that I know,” Leopold said.

Foreigners can also petition for refugee status or other humanitarian programs, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

A White House spokesman and a spokeswoman for the first lady declined to comment.

Melania Trump came to the United States from Slovenia in 1996 for several modeling assignments, first on a visitor’s visa and then a work permit. In 2000, Trump self-sponsored herself for a green card based on her “extraordinary ability” as a model, according to information Wildes previously released.

In 2001, several years after meeting Donald Trump, she received a green card that granted her permanent residency. She became a U.S. citizen in 2006, the year after she and Trump were married.

The Knavses have lived on and off with the Trumps in New York City for years and have been seen frequently in Washington since the first lady moved into the White House last summer.

Several years ago, their attorneys contacted the office of Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), now the Democratic minority leader, for help checking on the status of their petition for a green card with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to a person familiar with the outreach.

Such efforts are not unusual and some congressional staffs, including Schumer’s, have a dedicated immigration case worker to handle such requests. Schumer’s office declined to comment.

In his State of the Union address on Jan. 30, Trump offered a four-point immigration reform plan that he said “protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration.”

“Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives,” the president said in his speech. “Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and our future.”

Trump underscored his position in a Feb. 6 tweet.

“We need a 21st Century MERIT-BASED immigration system,” he tweeted. “Chain migration and the visa lottery are outdated programs that hurt our economic and national security.”

Democrats and some Republicans have vociferously opposed that measure. Last week, the Senate defeated legislation offered by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and backed by the White House that included Trump’s proposal.

 

[Howl]

On 2/17/2018 at 4:47 PM, Fascinated said:

I’m ashamed to say that when I first saw that photo earlier all I noticed was Melania’s nipple.  

 There are silicon nipple covers called DIMRs (dimmers, get it? to dim the headlights?).  Ya get two to a package and they are rated 4.5 stars on Amazon; 78% are five-star reviews.  I wear them with every bra that isn't foam lined and have used the same pair for YEARS; they have never slipped out of position in a bra.  

We could start a gofundme for Melania to buy a pair or two.  Here ya are, Mel: Dimrs' Self-Adhesive Silicone Nipple Covers $29.95

or these: Pinky Petals Women's Nipple Cover Thin Pasties, Reusable Silicone Breast Sticky, Nude $9.95

I have seen a pasties version at Joanne's Fabrics for $6.  

Anyway, I wonder how many guys are against impeaching Trump because they fantasize about Melania.  

[GrumpyGran]

22 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

In 2000, Trump self-sponsored herself for a green card based on her “extraordinary ability” as a model, according to information Wildes previously released.

In 2001, several years after meeting Donald Trump, she received a green card that granted her permanent residency.

"self-sponsored"? "extraordinary ability"? He met an illegal immigrant who was a porn model and didn't want her getting away. Wife number two was becoming a problem. The rest, including the chain migration of her parents, is history. Actual, factual history.

That's going to be the most secret swearing in ceremony since last week's Illuminati one.

[Cartmann99]

7 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

"self-sponsored"? "extraordinary ability"? He met an illegal immigrant who was a porn model and didn't want her getting away. Wife number two was becoming a problem. The rest, including the chain migration of her parents, is history. Actual, factual history.

That's going to be the most secret swearing in ceremony since last week's Illuminati one.

Being able to walk around in six inch heels while looking like you're constipated or bored to tears is definitely an acquired skill, but if that's an example of an "extraordinary ability", then stop the damn world and let me off. 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Cartmann99
My quoting skills are not extraordinary, so I must edit.

[fraurosena]

So, what do you guys think her 'extraordinary ability' was?

Melania Trump got green card through program for people with ‘extraordinary ability’: report

Quote

First lady Melania Trump reportedly got a green card through a program specifically for people with "extraordinary ability."

The first lady in 2001 was given a green card through the elite EB-1 program, The Washington Post reported.

The EB-1 program is reserved for people including academic researchers, multinational business executives and people who have shown "sustained national and international acclaim," the Post noted

“We called it the Einstein visa,” Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman and chairman of the House subcommittee that wrote the Immigration Act of 1990 defining EB-1, told the newspaper.

At the time she received her green card, the first lady was dating Donald Trump. The model had been featured in runway shows in Europe and had been included in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.

The Post reported that Melania Trump — who came to the U.S. from Slovenia in 1996 — was one of five people from Slovenia to get green cards in 2001 through the program.

According to government statistics, only 3,376 of the more than 1 million green cards issued in 2001 were for immigrants who had "extraordinary ability."

Michael Wildes, an attorney for Melania Trump, told the Post the first lady was "more than amply qualified and solidly eligible" for the EB-1 program.

To obtain a green card for extraordinary ability, one needs to prove they have qualifications such as evidence of commercial successes in the performing arts or evidence of original contributions to a field.

“What did she submit?” David Leopold, an immigration lawyer and a past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, asked, according to the newspaper. “There are a lot of questions about how she procured entry into the United States.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Melania Trump's parents are legal permanent residents of the U.S. on the cusp of obtaining citizenship.

That report came amid swirling speculation that her parents was given legal status based on family reunification, also called "chain migration" by detractors, which now-President Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to end.

 

[hoipolloi]

3 hours ago, fraurosena said:

So, what do you guys think her 'extraordinary ability' was?

Melania Trump got green card through program for people with ‘extraordinary ability’: report

 

Obviously, shacking up with tRump & then agreeing to marry him. 

Perhaps, though, photo shoots like this may well have put her in the category of Einstein Models - who knows?

[laPapessaGiovanna]

2 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

Obviously, shacking up with tRump & then agreeing to marry him. 

Perhaps, though, photo shoots like this may well have put her in the category of Einstein Models - who knows?

From the article linked

Quote

When asked about the photos, Trump told The Post: “Melania was one of the most successful models and she did many photo shoots, including for covers and major magazines. This was a picture taken for a European magazine prior to my knowing Melania. In Europe, pictures like this are very fashionable and common.”

Bullshit! That's considered soft porn here too.

[onekidanddone]

55 minutes ago, laPapessaGiovanna said:

From the article linked

Bullshit! That's considered soft porn here too.

Oh ewww. The shadow coming (eww again) out of her crotch is quite disturbing