“I’m Against the Violence”: US First Lady Melania Trump Speaks out on Minneapolis Protests as The View Questions her Timing

The hosts of The View have hit back at First Lady Melania Trump after she spoke publicly about the ongoing anti-ICE protests taking place in Minneapolis. The exchange has quickly gained attention online, with viewers reacting to the sharp comments made during the daytime show.

The moment aired on Jan. 27 when the programme played a clip of Melania Trump addressing the protests. In the video, she said, “I know my husband, the president, had a great call with the governor and the mayor and they’re working together to make it peaceful and without riots,” before turning directly to those demonstrating in the city with the appeal, “I’m against the violence so please, if you protest, protest in peace.”

Whoopi Goldberg was the first on the panel to respond, and her reaction set the tone for what followed. As the clip ended, she appeared unimpressed and made a pointed joke. “Who was that?” Goldberg quipped. “She looks so familiar, I don’t know who she was. Who was that?” She then turned to executive producer Brian Teta to ask again who the woman in the clip was. He replied, “That was the first lady.”

Sunny Hostin quickly added her own observation. She noted that Melania appeared to be standing in front of a poster promoting her upcoming Amazon documentary titled Melania, which follows her life in the 20 days leading up to her husband’s inauguration. Goldberg suggested this might explain the timing of her statement and joked that it was likely why Melania was now speaking out “against violence.”

The panel did not hold back. The hosts have repeatedly commented since the beginning of President Trump’s second term that Melania has appeared less frequently alongside her husband and may be living a more separate life. Goldberg leaned into that narrative again during the broadcast. “I can’t remember the last time I saw her,” she joked. “So exciting.”

The discussion also revisited some of the more controversial remarks Sunny Hostin made last year about the First Lady. Before President Trump was reelected, Hostin openly speculated about the state of the marriage. Speaking on the show in Oct. 2024 after Melania voiced support for reproductive rights, she said, “I think she hates him. We can all agree on that. That’s a given. I also think that she wants to take him out. She does not want to be the first lady anymore.”

Hostin continued with an even harsher assessment. “She doesn’t want to be the first lady, she destroyed the Rose Garden. Who hates Christmas? Melania Trump hates Christmas. She doesn’t want to decorate for Christmas. She doesn’t want anything to do with him. She doesn’t want to sleep in the same room as him. She can’t tolerate him.”

She went on to claim that Melania’s public positions at the time were part of a deliberate effort to undermine her husband. Hostin suggested that this was her way of “undercutting his bid for the presidency because then she doesn’t have to deal with him anymore.”

The latest exchange on The View has once again highlighted how openly the show’s hosts are willing to criticise high-profile political figures. For supporters of Melania Trump, the comments are likely to feel disrespectful. For critics, the segment will be seen as another example of the programme saying out loud what others only discuss quietly. Either way, the clash has ensured that Melania Trump, her comments on the protests, and her complicated public image are firmly back in the spotlight.