Melania Trump’s mysterious absence from the campaign trail is believed by some to be connected to increasingly “creepy and invasive” strangers who set their sights on the former first lady.
Since former President Donald Trump announced a third bid for the White House in November 2022, his eldest daughter and son-in-law weren’t alone in distancing themselves from the political fray. But while Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have routinely been spotted going about their lives, a report from The Washington Post suggested why the same could not be said for the president’s wife.
Asking the question, “Where’s Melania?” the Post’s Ben Terris and Josh Dawsey reported Friday that an ongoing aversion to politics had only been heightened by fans of the first lady attempting to invade her personal space.
“Melania has never liked politics and never enjoyed being trapped at events while [Trump] ‘talks and talks and she sits there and is expected to smile,’ said the former Melania staffer,” the Post reported. “Plus, the staffer added, people ‘get creepy and invasive with her,’ always trying to put their arms around her, or ask her what perfume she uses or the brand of her sunglasses.”
“I can’t imagine she wanted him to run again. But she would never say that,” the former staffer told the newspaper.
While the one-time first lady has avoided the media circus surrounding her husband’s multiple legal battles, in addition to remaining off the campaign trail in his bid to obtain the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, she has still been spotted at certain social gatherings.
Prior to the report from the Post, she was seen attending a Halloween party alongside the once commander-in-chief at their Palm Beach, Florida resort residence Mar-a-Lago. She was also spotted earlier in the year at an Easter brunch with the former president as well as being by his side as he celebrated his granddaughter’s birthday.
Video: Donald and Melania Trump at a Halloween party tonight at Mar-a-Lago
Credit is to @CarolineWren via Instagram stories pic.twitter.com/S4OVcqr22J— FLOTUS Report (@MELANIAJTRUMP) November 1, 2023
Adding to the Post’s report, former adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff claimed amid allegations leveled against Trump, “No amount of scrutiny, no amount of cheating, lying, stealing, you name it, will change,” the first lady’s support for her husband.
“She stood by him and will continue to stand by him because she is just like him. It’s a completely transactional marriage for both,” Winston Wolkoff asserted. “She knew exactly who she married and warned him that all his secrets would come out if he ran for president. She knew exactly what she was getting into. She accepted it and she continues to accept it. People would be surprised by just how much they agree about things.”
Likewise, her former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham had told the outlet that the first lady’s whereabouts were often “a mystery” to White House advisers.
However, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung issued his own statement in response to claims from the Post and said, “There will always be those who seek relevance and financial gain by inserting themselves into stories. Mrs. Trump has always been and will always be focused on her family, as it is her number one priority. Any reports claiming to have insight into her life should be read with caution.”