BY Daiman Teer
For decades, the media has treated Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis like some kind of intellectual goddess. Every breathy sentence she uttered in French or Spanish was hailed as proof of her brilliance, her sophistication, her near-mythical status as the cultured queen of Camelot. The press couldn’t get enough of it. They turned a few polite phrases delivered in a soft, rehearsed whisper into evidence that she was a linguistic genius, a woman whose mind matched her impeccable style.
The narrative was set early and never questioned: Jackie was not just beautiful; she was profound.
Fast forward to Melania Trump, a woman who actually speaks five languages fluently: Slovene (her native tongue), English, French, German, and Italian. She learned them through real life—growing up in Slovenia, studying abroad, modeling across Europe, and building a career in a second language before ever stepping foot in the White House. Yet where Jackie’s limited multilingual moments were celebrated as dazzling, Melania’s genuine fluency is either ignored or quietly dismissed.
The same outlets that once swooned over Jackie’s heavily accented “bonjour” now roll their eyes at Melania’s perfectly competent English, fixating on her accent as if it somehow diminishes her intelligence. They didn’t do that with Jackie, did they?
It’s a glaring double standard, and it says more about the people writing the stories than it does about the women themselves.
Jackie’s public image was carefully curated. She spoke in short, polished bursts—enough to impress crowds and cameras without ever having to sustain a deep conversation in those languages. The press took those snippets and ran with them, building a legend of effortless erudition. No one seemed eager to dig deeper or ask whether the delivery matched the substance. The Kennedy glow protected her from scrutiny.
Critics stayed silent, knowing that questioning the First Lady’s intellect would be career suicide in those circles.
Melania, by contrast, has never enjoyed that kind of shield. When she speaks French to children in hospitals or holds conversations in German and Italian during international trips, the coverage is minimal at best. When she does get noticed, it’s often to poke fun at her accent or question whether she’s “really” fluent.
The skepticism is palpable, even when video evidence shows her switching languages smoothly and confidently. She doesn’t need phonetic coaching or cue cards; she simply communicates. Yet the narrative remains stubbornly low-key: no breathless profiles calling her a polyglot powerhouse, no comparisons to historical figures of intellect. Just silence or snark.
This isn’t about diminishing Jackie. It’s about fairness. One woman’s carefully staged moments in foreign languages were elevated to near-sainthood, while another woman’s lifelong, practical command of multiple tongues is treated as an afterthought—or worse, a punchline. The difference isn’t in their abilities; it’s in who was telling the story and whose side they were on.
Melania Trump deserves recognition for what she brings to the table: real fluency earned through experience, not just photo ops. She navigated the highest levels of American life and global diplomacy while speaking languages most Americans can only dream of mastering. That’s not a small achievement. It’s impressive, disciplined, and worthy of respect. She doesn’t need exaggeration or myth-making; the facts stand on their own.
The media’s refusal to give her credit reveals a deeper bias—one that rewards certain pedigrees and punishes others. Jackie was allowed to be the brilliant icon because it fit the preferred storyline. Melania, who actually walks the walk, gets no such grace. It’s time to call that what it is: unfair, selective, and unworthy of serious journalism.
Let’s give credit where it’s due. Melania Trump is a multilingual, accomplished woman who has earned every bit of admiration for her skills and poise. She doesn’t need the halo. She simply outshines the myth.
James 3:9-10 (ESV): “With it [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
This passage condemns using words to tear down others (including mocking accents or foreign speech) while claiming to honor God—it’s a direct rebuke against hypocritical or scornful speech.
LET US PRAY:
Heavenly Father, shield Melania Trump from the scorn and mockery of leftists who ridicule her accent and multilingual gifts. Guard her heart from their cruel words, expose their hypocrisy, and surround her with Your peace and strength. Let truth prevail, her dignity shine, and her enemies’ tongues be silenced in Jesus’ name. Amen.
