First lady’s verified personal account momentarily liked a Twitter post suggesting the president had built a ‘wall’ between them

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Retweets are not endorsements, so goes the common caveat on Twitter – but could the First Lady of the United States be semaphoring for help on social media?



Melania Trump’s verified account, @MELANIATRUMP, momentarily favourited a tweet late on Tuesday that suggested her husband had built a “#WALL” between them.

Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump pic.twitter.com/XiNd2jiLUF

The tweet, by leftwing blogger Andy Ostroy, was attached to a gif of Melania stony-faced at Trump’s inauguration in January.

The clip of her bursting into a wide smile as soon as the president turns to look at her was widely shared at the time as half-joking evidence she was taking on the title of Flotus against her will.

It prompted the meme-cum-conspiracy theory #FREEMELANIA, which many referenced in responding to her favourite of Ostroy’s tweet.

Ostroy did not at first believe the notification that “MELANIA TRUMP liked [his] tweet” was genuine, tweeting a screenshot with the comment: “I suspect this isn’t a real account for @flotus...”

Asked by a journalist if he “had any connection” with the First Lady, Ostroy responded: “Hmmm...I guess I do now...”

Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) I suspect this isn't a real account for @flotus... pic.twitter.com/ziWXhlHruV

William LeBot 🤖 (@williamlegate) @AndyOstroy @KateKnibbs @FLOTUS It's her real account… I think she's sending a cry for help 😂 pic.twitter.com/hbauDnTMbU

Gonzo Veritas (@GonzoVeritas) @AndyOstroy @FLOTUS She is signalling for help. Trapped in the tower. It's going to make a great book.

@MELANIATRUMP had retracted her favourite within about 45 minutes of Ostroy’s tweet, suggesting her cry for help was either noticed by her captors or was accidental.



The Guardian considers the second explanation more likely.

David Barden (@davefbarden) @AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS .@MELANIATRUMP as soon as she sees what she's just liked. pic.twitter.com/8CFB5qUPwW

David Barden (@davefbarden) @AndyOstroy @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP @MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever. pic.twitter.com/8PfHCVbVPq

Since Donald Trump was elected last November, Melania – or, more likely, a team of representatives – has been tweeting from her “professional” @FLOTUS account, followed by 7.12m people.



It has not favourited any tweets.

Ostroy’s tweet was only Melania Trump’s second-ever favourite since joining the social network as @MELANIATRUMP in January 2010. The first was of her own post from May 2012: “Hello Twitter!”

Flotus is not the first to find herself under scrutiny for an accidental favourite.



Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, apologised for liking a comment criticising the singer Jennifer Hudson on Instagram in December.

I accidentally liked a six-week-old photo on Instagram. What do I do? Read more

“My children worried that I might accidentally touch something when looking at other sites and have warned me about it,” wrote Knowles-Lawson in a rambling explanation, posted beneath an image of a serene sunset. “They always say that I am not that great on social media, I have to be very careful and somehow maybe I touched a button ...

“So to Jennifer for my mistake of accidentally touching [“like”], which I don’t remember doing, I really apologize.”

More recently, Serena Williams revealed that her pregnancy announcement on the photo-sharing app Snapchat was posted accidentally: “On social media, you press the wrong button and ...”