Ana Navarro, a CNN contributor and former Republican strategist, castigated First Lady Melania Trump's public campaign against cyberbullying for exhibiting a "lack of self-awareness," claiming it could have only been formulated by someone who "suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain."
Navarro, who noted she was breaking her promise to stay off Twitter while on vacation, took to social media on Monday to respond to a speech the first lady gave denouncing the "destructive and harmful" uses of social media. The speech, made at a cyberbullying conference in Rockville, Md., was in conjunction with Trump's Be Best initiative, which seeks to encourage children in their "individual paths" by teaching "the importance of social, emotional, and physical health."
The strategist mocked Trump for choosing to combat cyberbullying when "her husband's use of the presidency to bully others" was "hard to ignore." Navarro further added the "only plausible explanation" was that the first lady "suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain."
"On vaca[tion] & I swore I’d stay off political twitter," Navarro said. "But damn, girlfriend’s lack of self-awareness & any sense of shame for her husband’s use of the Presidency to bully others, is hard to ignore. Only plausible explanation here is, Melania suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain."
On vacay & I swore I’d stay off political twitter.
But damn, girlfriend’s lack of self-awareness & any sense of shame for her husband’s use of the Presidency to bully others, is hard to ignore.
Only plausible explanation here is, Melania suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain. https://t.co/o93MONfeUl— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) August 20, 2018
Navarro's comments stand in stark contrast to those delivered by Trump on Monday, in which the first lady implored individuals to set a positive example for how the "next generation" can conduct themselves in a "positive manner in an online setting."
"In today's global society, social media is an inevitable part of our children's daily lives," Trump said. "It can be used in many positive ways, but can also be destructive and harmful when used incorrectly. This is why Be Best chooses to focus on the importance of teaching our next generation how to conduct themselves safely and in a positive manner in an online setting."
Navarro was not the only pundit to take a swipe at the first lady for her cyberbullying remarks. Joe Scarborough, a former congressman and co-host of the MSNBC's "Morning Joe," echoed Navarro's on Tuesday by claiming the first lady was either "completely clueless" or "trolling her husband."
Trump appears to be undeterred by the tendentious attacks leveled at her by those in the media.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communication's director, told CNN that Trump was "well aware" of the criticism surrounding her decision to tackle cyberbullying, but would not shrink from championing a cause she "feels is right."
"She's addressed this before. She is well aware of the criticism, but that will not deter her from doing what she feels is right," Grisham said. "I would hope most people in this country are proud that they have a strong and independent first lady who only has the best interests of children at heart -- I know I am."
This isn't the first time Navarro, an ardent voice in the "Never Trump" movement, has extended her critic of the president and his administration to his wife. In June, Navarro quipped that the first lady was attempting "to self-deport" from the White House during a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.