As Melania Trump has long made clear, she did not enjoy her time as first lady, as evidenced by, among other things, the fact that she delayed her initial move to Washington; the infamous “who gives a f–k” about Christmas tape; the reports that she was “miserable” and “very, very unhappy with her life;” and the massive grin on her face when she disembarked in Palm Beach on January 20, 2021. As a source told People later that year, “She was relieved when her husband’s term ended.” Said another, of a then prospective 2024 run by Trump: “If he runs, I doubt she will be involved at all. If he should win, that would be the worst-case scenario for her.”
Unfortunately for both Melania and America, the ex-president did decide to run again and right now, there is an alarming possibility that he could actually win. At which point, tradition would dictate that the former first lady would return with her husband to the White House. But according to “Melania-ologists,” that may not be the case.
Speaking to Axios, several first lady experts predicted this week that Melania will not make the White House her home base in a potential second term for her spouse. The more likely scenario, they believe, would be for her to continue “jetting between Palm Beach (where she’s spent the past four years) and New York (where tongues are wagging about Baron maybe attending NYU), coming to the White House only for ceremonial undertakings like state dinners or special events.” Washington Post associate editor Mary Jordan, who wrote a book about Melania, said, “Melania does what Melania wants. Her view is unelected, not paid.” Kate Andersen Brower, who has written several books about first ladies, told the outlet: “She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social political scene. I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.” (A spokesperson for Melania Trump did not respond to Axios’s request for comment.)
As Axios notes, the former first lady has effectively been “AWOL” on the campaign trail, and notably did not attend her husband’s hush money trial, or his post-conviction press conference that took place in the building where she has a home and was staying at the time. So it’s probably unlikely, at this point, that she’s dying to spend more time with the guy.
