Melania Trump‘s spokesperson Stephanie Grisham is calling for a boycott of T.I. after the rapper shared a video Friday featuring a lookalike of the first lady wearing nothing but heels and the infamous “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” jacket. The Melania imposter proceeds to do a strip tease in the Oval Office and on top of the Resolute desk while T.I., acting as a stand-in for the president, looks on. The tweet caption reads “Dear 45, I ain’t Kanye,” referencing the unhinged meeting President Trump held with Kanye West in the Oval last week. There are a million and one ways T.I. could have criticized West capitulating to Trump, but slut-shaming the first lady via a nude body double wasn’t the move, partially because it gave the White House an excuse to act aggrieved.
Dear 45,
I ain’t Kanye. 😳 pic.twitter.com/BCS8nkbn1M— T.I. (@Tip) October 13, 2018
On Saturday, Grisham shared the video, and her outrage.
How is this acceptable? #disgusting #boycottT.I. @Tip https://t.co/HvnFahfsVK
— Stephanie Grisham (@StephGrisham45) October 13, 2018
“Like it or not, she is the first lady and this is the White House,” Grisham said in a statement issued to People. “It’s disrespectful and disgusting to portray her this way simply because of politics. These kinds of vulgar attacks only further the divisiveness and bias in our country — it needs to stop.”
Grisham isn’t wrong to criticize the video as “disrespectful and disgusting” when T.I. could have easily taken a shot at Trump that didn’t entail rampant sexism. What’s just as vulgar and divisive, however, is Melania’s husband’s Tuesday morning tweet calling the woman he allegedly had an affair with while Melania was recovering from giving birth “Horserace.”
“Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.” @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
The first lady’s office should, by all means, call out gross behavior when they see it, but maybe they should start with the unrepentant misogyny exhibited by Melania’s husband.
In any case, good luck with that boycott.
