Latest news with #Flotus
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Did US First Lady Melania Trump Use AI To Write ‘Peace Letter' To Putin In Alaska?
Even as Ukraine's Zelenskyy publicly thanked Melania Trump for highlighting the plight of children, the letter led to questions on whether it was generated using AI During his meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump hand-delivered a letter written by his wife, Melania, to Putin. In the letter, the US First Lady, who did not join Trump on the trip, raised the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia. Even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly thanked Melania for highlighting the plight of children, the copy of the letter later circulated online led to questions on whether it was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). What did Melania Trump's letter say? The letter, which was shared on Flotus social media accounts, said, 'Dear President Putin, Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger. As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation's hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all — so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded. A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation's descendants begin their lives with a purity — an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology." 'In today's world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them — a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future. Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter. In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself." 'Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today. It is time," it concluded. Our incredible First Lady @MELANIATRUMP shared this powerful, deeply moving letter with President Putin. She speaks from the heart of every American in calling for a world where children, regardless of where they are born, can live in peace. — Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 16, 2025 Did Melania write the letter using AI? Soon after Melania shared the 'peace letter" on her official Instagram, online users began speculating whether it had actually been written by artificial intelligence. Critics also pointed out that the letter was vague about which 'children" it referred to, or what exactly she wanted Putin to do. While the message seemed to gesture at Ukrainian children, it never directly mentioned the suffering they've endured since Russia's invasion in February 2022, wrote the American nonprofit magazine Mother Jones. Democratic strategist Keith Edwards wrote on X: 'The letter says a whole lot of nothing…it many have been written by AI." One account even asked Grok, X's AI chatbot, to weigh in on the letter. The bot responded that the message was 'likely 85 per cent AI-drafted, with minor human edits for tone." This letter to Putin from Melania:1. Says a whole lot of nothing.2. May have been written by AI. — Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) August 16, 2025 Why the issue matters Russia's seizure of Ukrainian children has been a deeply sensitive one for Ukraine. Ukraine has called the abductions of tens of thousands of its children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conveyed his gratitude to the first lady on his call with Trump on Saturday, Ukraine's foreign minister said. 'This is a true act of humanism," Andrii Sybiha added on X. Previously, Moscow has said it has been protecting vulnerable children from a war zone. The United Nations Human Rights Office has said Russia has inflicted suffering on millions of Ukrainian children and violated their rights since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump and Putin met for nearly three hours at a U.S. military base in Anchorage without reaching a ceasefire deal in the war in Ukraine. With Reuters Inputs About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : donald trump Melania Trump news18 specials President Vladimir Putin view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 18, 2025, 14:34 IST News explainers Did US First Lady Melania Trump Use AI To Write 'Peace Letter' To Putin In Alaska? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Guardian
18-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Melania Trump shows no interest in her homeland Slovenia – for that I am thankful
Slovenia is a small country and not just in physical size or because it has a population of 2.1 million. It has no real geopolitical status: it doesn't shape the foreign policy or economy of other nations, but it is shaped by them. There is a prevailing belief in Slovenia, therefore, that we should focus on our soft power. Exceptional Slovenians will pull the country out of anonymity, putting the country on the map or securing recognition through their merit, this view holds. This is why the achievements of basketball players Goran Dragić and Luka Dončić, professional cyclist Tadej Pogačar's Tour de France victories, the two-time Olympic gold medallist Janja Garnbret, Laibach's notoriety and Katarina Čas's film roles are all framed as national opportunities. But none of these Slovenian-born figures, however impressive, generate as much excitement as the former Melanija Knavs, now Melania Trump. When Donald Trump's return to power made Melania the first lady again, the media response in Slovenia was predictable: state-run outlets largely downplayed the connection, but commercial media wasted no time promoting it as an opportunity. Slovenia's largest commercial television network, Pop TV (nomen est omen), aired an interview with Ivo Boscarol, a wealthy Slovenian businessman who attended the inauguration celebrations in Washington. His argument? The Slovenian government had missed a golden opportunity to use Melania's presence in the White House to improve its ties with the US. Now, as much as I enjoy cringing at Pop TV, I do take its influence seriously. It's the most watched channel in Slovenia, meaning many Slovenians are likely absorbing and internalising this narrative. Some media commentators have even suggested that Melania might be a golden ticket in case 'everything goes wrong'. I wonder if Trump's rejection of the transatlantic alliance in favour of Vladimir Putin and his threat to launch a trade war on the EU mean that has already happened. The problem with this thinking, however, is that it is not grounded in any reality. There is nothing whatsoever in Melania's memoir to indicate that she has any interest in fostering a political or economic relationship between her adopted country and Slovenia. On the contrary, the few times she mentioned Slovenia during her first stint as Flotus, it was typically a reference to its 'totalitarian past', perhaps playing into the American fear and loathing of communism and socialism. Melania grew up in the small town of Sevnica and she left to pursue a modelling career before Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. She has typically kept quiet about her Slovenian heritage, even though much of her family still lives here, and she supposedly speaks Slovene with her son. In her speeches, she has consistently framed the US as the ideal, the place to be, while Slovenia is, well, a place to forget. Perhaps that's why she has never seen fit to visit Slovenia during her tenure as first lady. But let's entertain the hypothetical for a moment. What if Melania's position did present a unique opportunity for Slovenia? It's hard to imagine, given that very little is known about her personal political views – except that she opposed her husband's stance on abortion, a rare divergence. Still, her decision to marry a problematic public figure and then remain married to a leader displaying authoritarian tendencies speaks volumes. There is a certain complicity in that choice: a tacit approval of Trump's idea that humiliating Volodymyr Zelenskyy or making Ukraine surrender to Russia's demands is the basis for peace; of his renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America; of his plan to rebuild Gaza but perhaps not for Palestinians; a nod to his gender essentialism, demonisation of immigrants, climate denial; and even, ironically, abortion bans. So Melania could become Slovenia's best opportunity to obtain a special relationship with a fascist regime in the making. Is that the opportunity Slovenia wants? I'm not naive – rightwing ideologies have supporters in Slovenia, and they no doubt look up to Trump. But funnily enough, I am more afraid of the neoliberal politicians in power, and the business elites of our country who see any connection – no matter how toxic – as a potential win. I would really like to know whether we are in danger of relations between Slovenia and the US being – as our hopeful prime minister wished on X after Trump's inauguration – 'further strengthened'. For now, Slovenia is fortunate that Melania has yet to show any real interest in using her position to strengthen ties with the country of her birth. There is no diplomatic gambit to be made, no grand strategic move to consider. Any celebration of Melania in the White House will pass, if it hasn't already, and with it – luckily – Slovenia's fleeting hope of leveraging her for political gain. Perhaps our next global celebrity will offer a more constructive opportunity. Until then, Slovenia may be better served by focusing on building relationships based on shared values and long-term interests – rather than relying on the whims of problematic individuals. Ana Schnabl is a Slovenian novelist, editor and critic
The Guardian
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
American power: what does official portrait reveal about Melania 2.0?
At first glance, the official portrait of the returning Flotus – soft power stance, crisp unbuttoned Dolce & Gabbana tux, the Washington monument soaring behind her – scans so neatly with the returning administration that you'd be hard pushed to find any clues as to who Melania 2.0 is. After all, she also wore a Dolce & Gabbana jacket for the same shot in 2017. The only real change this time is that she swapped the necktie for a black Ralph Lauren cumberband, as if to sprinkle a little alpha patriotism into an otherwise blankly corporate get-up. Yet as ever with an erstwhile model who prefers to parse her internal monologue through her wardrobe choices rather than anything with substance, speculate we must. Look closer, and there is plenty to start with. Photographed by Régine Mahaux, a Paris-based Belgian photographer who also shot a smilier Trump in 2017, it's the first time a first lady has been photographed in black and white since that became a choice. Obama, Clinton, both Bushes and Reagan were all shot in glorious colour. It's a choice that could signify grief or tradition, but mostly invites us to view her independently, or businesslike, while foreshadowing the whitewashing to come. Then there's the stance – legs crossed under the table, French tips on top, that Lean In lean – which is somewhere between The Apprentice's Sir Alan Sugar and House of Cards' Claire Underwood. Even the soft-wave hair is a hybrid of sorts, based on the cultish style beloved by the Republican ladies because it's expensive and requires a stylist: it's feminine, even modern. Finally, there's the face – that sphinx-like smize more guarded, more ambiguous than ever. At least she smiled in 2017. The duties of the flotus have never been clear. Other than a nebulous expectation that she should fit the role of American womanhood, the role is undefined and unpaid. The fact that she's launched crypto, is working on a documentary and is now standing behind a desk suggests that she may well step out of the shadows this time. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion Which is why the real clue is behind her. The famous obelisk is less a symbol of American democracy like the Statue of Liberty, and more a symbol of American power. Jutting up into the air of the imperial capital, it's rigid, coolly austere and carries an air of menace. Sound familiar?
