Melania Trump and her husband, Donald, made a rare joint appearance at a U.S. Navy event in Norfolk, Virginia, this past Sunday to celebrate 250 years of the Navy. The couple, who arrived late to the event, sparked a wave of reactions, particularly from social media users, after Melania’s awkward greeting to the sailors in attendance.
As she took the stage, Melania greeted the Navy personnel with a simple, yet clumsy, “Hooyah, Navy.” While there was some applause, it was followed by a noticeable pause, creating an uncomfortable moment. Although some praised her attempt to engage with the audience, many others on social media ridiculed the First Lady for her choice of words.
“Cringe” and “Please make it stop” were just some of the comments posted by Twitter users, with others joking that Melania had added “speaking Navy” to her list of languages, which includes French and Italian. A few even referred to the moment as a “sitcom” level of awkwardness, while some questioned if her communications team had suggested the greeting to help her seem more relatable to the sailors.
Despite the rocky start, Melania continued her speech, highlighting the bravery and sacrifice of generations of sailors. “Your strength, bravery, and sacrifice inspires us all,” she said. However, it was the “Hooyah” that stole the spotlight, with many online voicing their opinions about the First Lady’s attempt to bond with the Navy.