In tweet directed at First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus wished the first lady well as she recovers from coronavirus and thanked her for the work she has done on suicide prevention.
“Hope you are feeling better @FLOTUS. This photo was almost exactly a year ago. Thank you again for the compassion and time you shared with Channing’s Dad and his brother,” Cyrus tweeted.
Fox News reported on the tweet, although Cyrus apparently removed it later.
Cyrus sets the record straight
Cyrus had also posted a message and photo on Twitter last year of his meeting with the first lady and a family whose son had taken his life after being bullied.
What an honor to sit w/The First Lady at the White House. @FLOTUS Your sincerity was truly inspiring. You/your team were so engaged to Channing’s grieving father & brother & brought ideas/strategy to make the world a safer better place for the youth in America #JusticeForChanning pic.twitter.com/U7Pt6qTXzD
— Billy Ray Cyrus (@billyraycyrus) November 19, 2019
In a series of tweets on Friday, Cyrus implied he had removed the post because of comments on the tweet, some of which were undoubtedly viciously anti-Trump.
#VOTE a very powerful 4 letter word. Here is my statement regarding today’s post. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/R9LsqjP08g
— Billy Ray Cyrus (@billyraycyrus) October 9, 2020
“The picture I posted with Melania was not an endorsement, but a reflection on a special moment I had human to human with her over a heartbreaking story about a young teenage boy who killed himself after being bullied,” Cyrus wrote. “We were only expecting a few minutes of her time, but she ended up speaking with us for over an hour.”
Sad day in American politics
Cyrus then shared a series of stories about his positive experiences with both Democrat and Republican politicians through the years.
He concluded by saying that he is not telling anyone who to vote for or endorsing any candidate.
“I felt the need to explain my background and make it clear; I am not endorsing anybody. I am listening, watching, and you best believe voting … and I hope you are too,” he said.
It’s a sad day in American political life when a celebrity gets so much backlash for even associating with someone in the Trump family — even when they’re working on an issue as noncontroversial as suicide prevention.
