Where is Melania Trump? US First Lady 'missing' from Washington action
File photo: US First Lady Melania Trump (Picture credit: AP)
More than three months into US President Donald Trump's second term, First Lady
Melania Trump
has remained largely out of sight, spending fewer than 14 days at the White House since Inauguration Day, reported The New York Times, citing two sources familiar with her schedule.
Instead, the former model has opted for a quieter life between
Trump Tower
in Manhattan and
Mar-a-Lago
in Florida, avoiding the limelight and distancing herself from
Washington politics
.
While White House officials insist she is present in the capital more than is publicly known, they decline to specify how often or for how long. Her prolonged absences have drawn comparisons to
Bess Truman
, who also preferred life outside Washington. Katherine Jellison, a historian of first ladies, was quoted by The New York Times as saying, 'We haven't seen such a low-profile first lady since Bess Truman… she just kind of liked her own private world.'
Though she has hired staff in the East Wing, Trump rarely appears in public or even in her official office.
According to The Telegraph, Mrs. Trump has made only a handful of appearances since January, including a speech at the State Department's
International Women of Courage awards
and her participation in the
White House Easter Egg Roll
, an event that raised legal and ethical questions after corporate sponsors were allowed to contribute.
In her rare public remarks, Trump emphasised her family role over public office.
Speaking to Fox News ahead of the inauguration, she said, 'My first priority is… to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on Jan 20, you serve the country.'
Her 19-year-old son Barron is now in college, but Trump reportedly remains closely involved in his life.
A deeply private figure, she avoided the courtroom during her husband's hush-money trial and kept her distance from his campaign events, even as he weathered two assassination attempts.
Sources familiar with her thinking say the incidents left her deeply unsettled and further inclined to stay away from Washington.
Despite her low visibility, Trump is reportedly executive producing a $40 million
Amazon documentary
offering a behind-the-scenes look at her life, a sum The New York Times described as far exceeding typical deals for such projects.
Film crews have been spotted around her, but details remain under wraps.
Melania Trump is expected to make a rare appearance Thursday to unveil a postage stamp honouring former first lady Barbara Bush. Still, when the president tours the Middle East next week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, she is not expected to accompany him.
'She loves the White House, and she loves the role of serving as our first lady,' Paolo Zampolli, a former modelling agent who introduced the Trumps, was quoted by The New York Times.
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