4 Dec, 2019 22:27

Pamela Karlan, leave my son out of this – Melania Trump shames impeachment witness over attack on Barron

First Lady Melania Trump has weighed in on the impeachment hearings in a rare tweet, shaming a legal expert who invoked Barron Trump in her testimony for “pandering” and using a child to score political points.

Asked to compare President Trump’s conduct to that of a monarch during Wednesday's impeachment hearing, Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan quipped that “the president can name his son Barron but not make him a baron,” lighting up some corners of Twitter with both outrage and glee. The comment drew a far less common response, however, from the First Lady.

“A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it,” she shot back.

A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) December 4, 2019

Some commenters on social media flocked to defend the First Lady, commending her “momma bear” instincts and shredding Karlan’s “shameful” remark.

Karlan could have used any other analogy to make her point. Using the name was low. I don't blame Melania for coming to her sons defense. Momma bear!
— Doña Tati (@saltlife4life73) December 4, 2019

We are standing with you, First Lady Melania 🇺🇸♥️🇺🇸♥️🇺🇸Pamela Karlan, you stepped so over the line this time, there’s no coming back. You will never have a Supreme Court seat. Just because you believe yourself worthy, doesn’t make you worthy, right?Shameful https://t.co/PNssMr0aNq
— Tahn Tahn (@tahntahn76) December 4, 2019

Critics, however, were quick to note that the president himself has singled out teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg in public comments, insisting it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Greta Thunberg *wants to be* a public figure, Barron Trump does not https://t.co/iMEAkKw3pf
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 4, 2019

While we're talking differences, President Trump *publicly mocked* a child. Karlan did not. Regardless of how you feel about either case, this selective outrage isn't genuine, it's an attempt to distract us from the fact that Trump tried to cheat in an election and got caught.
— David Litt (@davidlitt) December 4, 2019

Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in to defend his little brother, hitting “liberals” for double standards in who they consider “off limits.”

Remember only children of Liberals (even the 50 year old children) are off limits. That a 13 year old is fair game for partisan hacks on a national platform shows you all you need to know about the new left and who is now running the ship. https://t.co/DQZNh4hLTf
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 4, 2019

While Karlan later extended an apology, many of her detractors remained unimpressed.