Despite the efforts of a miserable American media and liberal establishment to malign her, first lady Melania Trump continues on with work that endears her to the American public.

Her agenda as first lady is expansive, focusing on children and the importance of all aspects of their lives, from self-esteem to education to health care. Our nation has a first lady who is smart, beautiful and a person of faith. She is committed to her family and to this nation.

Her sense of self-worth is not reliant on whether or not she’s on the cover of Vogue or invited to certain cocktail parties. She is her own woman -- strong, independent, and won’t be bullied.

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And for today’s liberals and Democrats, that is her crime.

Mrs. Trump has suffered ignominious insults and attacks, first as candidate Donald Trump’s wife, but inexplicably even more so as the first lady. Yet, it is her reaction to the critics that sets her apart and highlights just exactly how ugly others become when jealousy and envy take root.

For two Christmases now, we’ve enjoyed her sense of style, which has transformed the White House into a dazzling reminder of the beauty of the season.

But even Christmas decorations, and daring to create an elegant and inviting environment at the nation’s house, elicits petty whining by the chattering class.

During an interview at an event to talk about the opioid crisis and its impact on young people, she was asked about the “controversy” spun by the media and Democrats (but I repeat myself) over the White House Christmas decor. Her answer was classic Melania Trump, leading with grace, “We are in the 21st-century, and everybody has a different taste,” she said. “I think they look fantastic. I hope everyone will come over and visit it. In real life, they look even more beautiful.”

What we are watching is the return of “Mean Girls,” those who hounded the new girl in high school who dared to be prettier, smarter and nicer than they were.

In an effort to damage the reputation of the horribly more interesting girl, they would taunt their target in the hallways, spread rumors and tell lies. In the pre-Twitter world of bullying, these jackals would scrawl their 140-character insults, threats and abuse by using a Sharpie pen on her locker.

Clearly, all tactics of the insecure and jealous. In other words, they are today’s Democrats but at 14 years old.

We’ve come to expect pettiness from the usual suspects in media and politics. But now former first lady Michelle Obama, a woman who sets the tone for Democrats, has apparently revealed her famous “when they go low, we go high” encouragement of her husband’s supporters was just a skit.

Piers Morgan, the former CNN host, now a presenter on ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” and admirer of the Obamas, wrote a scathing column for the Daily Mail expressing his shock and dismay at Mrs. Obama for “going low” with her attacks on Mrs. Trump.

He wrote, “Just when I thought there was one person in public life that soared effortlessly and admirably above the incessantly ugly partisan trash-talk that pervades every second of American airspace these days, Mrs. Obama has let me down. And frankly, she has let herself down too. Appearing on last night’s Jimmy Fallon show, Michelle inexplicably decided to plunge the b----y knife firmly into the back of her successor as first lady, Melania Trump.”

Morgan then described Fallon seemingly wanting to hear what Mrs. Obama was thinking as she and her husband were boarding Air Force One one last time after leaving the Trump inauguration.

“But before he could even finish the question, Michelle interrupted with a sneering: ‘Bye Felicia!’ Fallon collapsed with laughter and the audience whooped with joy …, ” continued Morgan, who then explained the phrase originated on a television show and is a dismissive smear young people especially would understand.

Morgan then detailed a number of other negative public comments Mrs. Obama has made targeting Mrs. Trump.

“How sad to now see the same Michelle Obama, a woman I greatly admire, now herself go so low simply to belittle her successor, flog a few more books and further line her already bulging pockets,” he concluded.

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In his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln expressed his belief that we could trust in the better angels of our nature. Today, we have too many examples of Democrats encouraging and appealing to the worst in people.

We can choose to reject that toxic environment and look to role models -- like Melania Trump -- who encourage us to stay focused and rely on our better angels to make the world a better place.

This column originally appeared in The Washington Times.