This is not a political blog. In fact, we go out of our way to avoid national political hot-topics even though they might draw parallels to the dance world and even supply a little humor. But now this. This is unavoidable.
Donald Trump has blamed Melania's plagiarism on ballet. He has pointed his very short index finger limply at the co-author of one of his books and long time confidant, Meredith McIver. She's a graduate of the University of Utah who purportedly worked on Wall Street before beginning her Trump association in 2001 and co-authored at least one of his books. She also seems to have been a Ford Foundation scholarship recipient who attended SAB at the age of 14 and may have even done a little hoofing around town afterward before going to Utah.
Did Donald Trump choose to cast aspersions on McIver by saying she worked on Wall Street? No.
Did Donald Trump choose to cast aspersions on McIver by saying she came out of the University of Utah? No.
Trump's camp chose to cast aspersions on McIver by alluding to her as a former "ballet dancer" to invoke stereotypical incompetence, lack of sensibility, and suspect morality. She may have, indeed, been the one who lifted the text from Michelle Obama's speech – we don't know, and we'll let Fox News, Drudge and Rush do their careful investigative work to find out. But to malign her because she was a ballet dancer instead of a former Wall Street worker or University of Utah grad is just plain dirty and unacceptable.
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