♪
>> I KNOW I WILL GET THE
CRITICISM FROM THE PUBLIC OR
FROM THE MEDIA, BUT I WILL
DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT I
FEEL IS RIGHT FOR THE
COUNTRY AND FOR THE PEOPLE.
STEVE: THERE YOU HAVE GOT
FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED
STATES SITTING DOWN WITH
SEAN HANNITY LAST WEEK.
AFTER THAT IT PROMPTED AN
OP-ED WRITTEN BY A CNN
NETWORK CONTRIBUTOR KATE
ANDERSON BROWR TITLED
MELANIA SHOWS SHE IS A TRUMP
THROUGH AND THROUGH.
WELL, THE FIRST LADY'S
SPOKESPERSON DID NOT THINK
THAT WAS FAIR.
STEPHANIE GRISHAM JOINS US
NOW FROM THE NORTH LAWN.
STEPHANIE, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
STEVE: WHAT WAS YOUR PROBLEM
WITH THE CNN'S CRICKETER'S
REVIEW OF THE FIRST LADY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SHE
JUST GOT HER FACTS WRONG.
SO, I FELT IT WAS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT TO SET THOSE FACTS
STRAIGHT.
ANOTHER THING THAT REALLY
BOTHERED ME WAS JUST HOURS
BEFORE THIS OP-ED POSTED SHE
WAS AT A HOSPITAL HERE IN
DNC VISITING CHILDREN AND
READING READING MILITARY
STORY.
SHE HAD GONE TO TWO AIR
BASES AND FLOWN OUT ON
AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO THANK
THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.
DAY BEFORE THAT TOY DRIVE
FOR TOYS FOR TOTS.
FOR ME THE TIMING OF THE
OP-ED WAS OFFENSIVE.
STEVE: TIMING WAS OFFENSIVE.
WHAT FACTS DID SHE GET
WRONG?
>> THAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE FIRST
LADY OR UNDERSTAND THE ROLE.
MRS. TRUMP HAS SUCCESSFULLY
PULLED OFF A STATE DINNER AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
SUCCESSFULLY PLANNED AND
EXECUTED EVERY HOLIDAY EVENT
THAT HAS HAPPENED HERE AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
SHE OVERSEAS RESIDENT STAFF
OF ALMOST 300 PEOPLE.
SHE GOES OUT INTO THE
COMMUNITY, ALL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND THE WORLD ON
BEHALF OF BE BEST AND DOES
WHAT SHE THINKS IS RIGHT FOR
CHILDREN.
SHE WANTS TO TALK TO THEM
ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF
CHILDREN, ABOUT BEING SAFE
AND RESPONSIBLE ONLINE AND
OF COURSE OPIOID ABUSE.
AINSLEY: WHY DID YOU FEEL IT
WAS SO IMPORTANT TO FIGHT
BACK?
>> AGAIN, YOU KNOW,
MS. BROWARD JUST GOT HER
FACTS WRONG AND THAT'S NOT
OKAY.
THESE DAY THE CONSISTENT
NEGATIVE COVERAGE THAT
MRS. TRUMP GETS IS NOT FAIR.
I KNOW I WILL BE ATTACKED
FOR SAYING IT'S NOT FAIR
THAT I'M WHINING BUT WE ARE
DEFENDING OURSELVES.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY
INQUIRIES I GET THAT HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
SUBSTANCE OF HER WORK.
SHE TWO WEEKS AGO TO LIBERTY
UNIVERSITY AND TALKED TO
10,000 COLLEGE KIDS ABOUT
OPIOID ABUSE.
SHE GAVE CHRISTMAS DA CORE
FOR TWO DAYS THAT'S WHAT WE
TALKED ABOUT CHRISTMAS
DECOR.
MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO
COVER THE GREAT WORK SHE IS
DOING.
BRIAN: THEY TALKED ABOUT THE
COLOR OF HER HAIR RATHER
THAN WHAT SHE TALKED ABOUT.
I WATCHED BOTH THE ABC
INTERVIEW AND WATCHED SEAN
HANNITY, THE WHOLE THINGS.
I LEARNED ABOUT 75% MORE
THAN I EVER KNEW ABOUT HER
AND I KNEW HER BEFORE SHE
WAS FIRST LADY AND SHE WAS
HERE DOING OTHER THINGS AND
PROMOTING DIFFERENT EVENTS U
SHE IS ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT
HOW SHE MET HER HUSBAND.
TALKED ABOUT WHAT HER
APPROACH IS AS A MOM.
SHE HAS A LOT OF SUBSTANCE.
THE ABC INTERVIEW, TOO.
SHE WAS ABLE TO LAY
EVERYTHING OUT.
DO YOU SENSE, DESPITE THE
CRITICISM, IN 2019, WE ARE
GOING TO SEE MORE OF HER
REGARDLESS?
>> YES.
I THINK THAT WHAT SHE HAS
SHOWN IS THAT SHE IS NOT
GOING TO BE DETER YOU HAD.
SHE IS GOING TO DO WHAT SHE
THINKS IS RIGHT.
SHE IS GOING TO STAY TRUE TO
HERSELF.
DESPITE THE NEGATIVE
CRITICISM, DESPITE THE
PERCEPTION THAT PERHAPS THE
MEDIA IS TRYING TO PUT OUT
THERE, SHE IS GOING TO
CONTINUE TO GO OUT THERE AND
WORK ON BE BEST AND DO
WHAT'S RIGHT FOR KIDS.
BRIAN: STEPHANIE, THE OTHER
THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, I
DON'T THINK ANYBODY
UNDERSTANDS THE PRESIDENT
BETTER THAN SHE DOES OR
UNDERSTAND WHAT HOW TO
PROTECT HIM MORE THAN SHE
DOES.
PEOPLE WITH K. MAKE.
THESE TWO GET ALONG AND
WATCH EACH OTHER'S BACK MORE
THAN ANY COUPLE I HAVE EVER
SEEN.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE
BEHIND THE SCENES AND THEY
ARE VERY STRONG.
AINSLEY: HOW INFLUENTIAL IS
SHE WHEN THE PRESIDENT MAKES
DISCUSS?
>> SHE GIVES HIM HER OPINION
CERTAINLY.
HE LISTENS SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES HE DOES NOT.
SHE IS ALWAYS VERY VOCAL AND
THEY TALK A LOT AND HE IS
OPEN TO LISTENING TO HER
OPINIONS.
STEVE: ALL RIGHT.