The New York Post is facing backlash after publishing racy photos of Melania Trump for the past two days.
A nude photo of Melania, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, was on the cover of the New York Post Sunday morning, along with the headline “The Ogle Office.” More photos of the potential first lady were published inside the paper.
The Post (which endorsed Donald in April) also published a second set of photos, these ones with a lesbian theme, Monday with the headline: Melange a Trump.
The photos are from a now-defunct French magazine called Max, and were taken over 20 years ago when she was 25.
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While the fact that the newspaper published the photos is drawing criticism from many, the Trump campaign doesn’t seem to mind.
“They’re a celebration of the human body as art, and (there’s) nothing to be embarrassed about with the photos,” campaign spokesman Jason Miller told CNN on Sunday. “She’s a beautiful woman.”
Donald, himself, didn’t seem to mind that the pictures were out there, telling the Post that Melania has had a very successful career.
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“Melania was one of the most successful models and she did many photo shoots, including for covers and major magazines,” he said. “This was a picture taken for a European magazine prior to my knowing Melania. In Europe, pictures like this are very fashionable and common.”
But others say the photos are just a distraction during a controversial time for Trump. The political conversation this weekend has mostly focused on Trump’s comments about a dead soldier’s family’s speech at the Democratic National Convention last week.
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An opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune called it tawdry, exploitative and tasteless in an era when the first woman ever has been nominated to run for president.
“It’s off-topic, in a campaign that’s dealing with gun violence, global terrorism, economic security and religious freedom,” Heidi Stevens wrote in the Tribune.
“Whether the photos were intended to help Trump … embarrass Trump … or simply sell newspapers … they have no place in a presidential race.”
On social media, reaction was more varied but people slammed the Post for posting the photos.
It’s not the first time Melania’s career as a model has been thrust into the spotlight. In March, supporters of Donald’s former rival Ted Cruz shared a non-explicit nude picture of her on Twitter with the caption urging voters to support Cruz.
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Donald responded harshly, sharing an unflattering picture of Cruz’s wife Heidi and threatening to “spill the beans” on her.