Melania Trump cleverly redefined 'honesty' to fit her husband in RNC speech

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

From President Trump's very first presidential "alternative fact" about the size of his inaugural crowd to the 20,000th documented false or misleading claim he has made since then, according to the running tally by The Washington Post's fact-checker team, "total honesty" isn't typically a word associated with his presidency. But what if you looked at honesty not in terms of truth versus lies, but as a measure of being true to your own nature? That's the smart rhetorical shift first lady Melania Trump tried during her speech at Tuesday's Republican National Convention.

"We all know Donald Trump makes no secrets about how he feels about things," the first lady said from the White House Rose Garden. "Total honesty is what we, as citizens, deserve from our president. Whether you like it or not, you always know what he's thinking. And that is because he is an authentic person who loves this country and its people."

Melania Trump's speech was written by a senior aide and wasn't vetted by the White House political staff, according to her spokeswoman, former Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.