On 28 May 2018, First Lady Melania Trump published a tweet for Memorial Day:
On #MemorialDay we honor the many Americans who laid down their lives for our great country. As one nation under God, we come together to remember that freedom isn't free. Thank you to all the service members & their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. ?? pic.twitter.com/H6yhNQXyPg
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 28, 2018
Not long after Trump's statement, a meme attributing a nearly identical version of the quote to former First Lady Michelle Obama from four years previously appeared:
Underneath a photograph of Melania Trump with her 2018 statement appended, the image featured a photograph of Michelle Obama and a purported quote:
Today we honor the many Americans who laid down their lives for this great country. As one nation under God, we come together to remember that freedom isn't free. Thank you to all who have served & their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.
Michelle Obama 5.26.2014
Tweets sent by Michelle Obama during her tenure as First Lady are archived on the Twitter timeline @FLOTUS44. Two tweets were published to that account on 26 May 2014, and neither matched the statement in the meme:
Happening now: President Obama and the First Lady commemorate Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery →
Today, the First Lady and @DrBiden honored Memorial Day with 200 @TAPS4America children of fallen service members. pic.twitter.com/7Ks9WxiIQy
— First Lady- Archived (@FLOTUS44) May 26, 2014
An extensive search of comments made by Michelle Obama revealed no statements matching Melania Trump's Memorial Day 2018 remarks in full or in part. Defense.gov maintains a Memorial Day 2014 archive; none of the material published there included any statement from Michelle Obama.