Trump hosts military spouses, prompting discussion about representation
Editor's note: This article originally misidentified a photo as having taken place at the White House’s military spouses event on Wednesday. The photo was actually taken at the Joint Armed Forces of Washington Luncheon in April, and shows members of the Air Force Officers' Spouses' Club. President Trump did host military spouses at the White House on Wednesday, and you can see video of that event here. This post has been updated to reflect the correction.
President Trump hosted military spouses at the White House on Wednesday, where he signed an executive order that would increase opportunities for military spouses. First lady Melania Trump, who attended the event, said: "Today, I want to take this opportunity to let you all know that as mothers who are members of the military community, you deserve recognition for not only your love for your … children, but for the dedication and sacrifice you make on behalf of our country each and every day."
The event got people talking about the last time a Trump family member attended a military spouses' event, in April, when Ivanka Trump was the guest speaker at the annual Joint Armed Forces of Washington Luncheon; (Klain erroneously identifies this as the event earlier this week):
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Despite the fact that it was a club event, Victoria Chamberlin, a veteran, pointed out on Twitter that it is a limited representation of military spouses:
Chamberlin added: "All this does is perpetuate the narrative of delicate flower waiting at home for her husband to return from war," adding, "I can't tell you how many times I've asked into a military office and been asked for my dependent ID card when my husband was a civilian. Things like this perpetuate that stereotype."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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