Writing for CNN Opinion this Monday, Kate Andersen Brower says that Melania Trump will be the only first lady in modern history to forgo the tradition of giving the incoming first lady a tour of the private living quarters on the second and third floors of the White House.
"...this tradition has long been one of the first lady's many unwritten obligations. And Melania Trump has discarded it," Brower writes.
"It's perhaps unsurprising that Melania Trump has flouted a social norm of her position. Every one-term president -- and his wife -- have felt the sting of defeat, but unlike her husband, none of them have refused to accept the election results," she writes.
According to Brower, tradition matters. Expectations about what's normal and civil behavior in our society matter as well.
"These visits make the presidency -- and all the family roles that go with it -- more connected to the humanity of the people who hold them," writes Bower, adding that former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama will attend Joe Biden's inauguration followed by a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery -- all events where Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in attendance.
"This display of unity will bring Melania Trump's decision to do away with tradition into stark relief," Brower notes.
According to a recent CNN poll, 47% of Americans now have an unfavorable view of Melania.
