Melania Trump goes into hiding after leaving the White House

When Mr. Trump started running for election and faced a series of legal troubles, Mrs. Melania hardly appeared next to her husband or in front of the media.

On an October morning before Mar-a-Lago opened for winter vacationers, the Trump family’s Palm Beach, Florida, retreat was quiet. The five tennis courts were empty, the parasols unfurled, and the vast lawns were deserted.

But the security team kept working. When a Washington Post reporter asked, “Have you ever met Melania Trump?” the guard guarding the side entrance replied, “Sir, you have to step back and keep walking.”

Melania Trump speaks before boarding Air Force One with her husband at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 20, 2021 to return to Mar-a-Lago and not attend Joe Biden's inauguration. Photo: AFP

Since leaving the White House in early 2021, former First Lady Melania Trump has lived in a secluded Mar-a-Lago estate largely out of public view. But as public attention grows on the possibility of Trump returning to the White House and facing a series of trials and jail terms, questions are also being asked about Melania’s whereabouts.

She was not present at her husband’s trial in New York, where he was accused of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. She was not present in Miami, where her husband was found guilty of 37 charges of leaking classified documents. She was not seen in Washington, DC, where Trump was found guilty of four charges related to the Capitol Hill riots. She did not travel to Georgia, where Trump is on trial for attempting to sway the state’s election.

Melania has been absent from Trump's campaign rallies since attending the campaign kickoff at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022. People living in the area have not seen her at Mar-a-Lago or Worth Avenue, the luxury shopping avenue more than 3 km away.

"She used to come here a lot, but no one has seen her for a long time," said a Salvatore Ferregamo saleswoman. "This place is a safe, quiet oasis. That's why you see a lot of celebrities here. But for some reason, Melania is not here."

She also stopped going to fancy restaurants. “Jimmy Buffett used to sit there and love to speak French to the staff,” said a barista at the nearby L’Europe cafe. “But I’ve never seen Melania. It’s unbelievable. It’s like they live in a foreign country, not down the street.”

Melania also stays away from social events in Palm Beach. “It’s like a small town full of super-rich people, where they show up at social events,” said Ryan Williams, a Republican consultant. “But I’ve never seen her outside of Mar-a-Lago.”

The Trump campaign did not schedule an interview with Melania. "Mrs. Trump has been, and will always be, focused on her family, which is her number one priority," said Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump.

Melania Trump’s absence has been seen by Trump critics as a sign that he has lost the support of his most loyal supporters during his re-election campaign and lawsuits. If his wife is not interested, perhaps the support of his longtime fans will also fade.

Trump's opponents are trying to draw attention to Melania's absence. In September, "Melania is Missing" flyers appeared in Iowa, and a plane flew over a college football game flying a banner reading "Where is Melania?"

Since leaving the White House, Melania has occasionally stayed at Trump Tower in New York. She has been paid to attend a number of events, including a $500,000 fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican LGBT advocacy group, and Fix California, a conservative election organization; she has also sold her Apollo 11 NFT collection and participated in a scholarship program for adopted children.

But she spends most of her time at Mar-a-Lago. If she doesn't show up, it means she doesn't want to. Which raises the question: "What is she thinking? What is she trying to say by showing people that she's out of the public eye? What is she trying to say by being quiet?"

Dan Leber, a businessman who owns a condo in Palm Beach, said Mar-a-Lago is an ideal place to hide. He has been a guest there several times over the years and has a friend who is a member of the Mar-a-Lago club.

Leber was fascinated by his visits to Mar-a-Lago. He shook hands with boxer Mike Tyson there. He witnessed Trump win a doubles tennis match, when Melania ran to hug him in front of everyone to celebrate. Leber said any rumors about their marriage were just fiction.

"I don't believe the stories that say their relationship is bad," Leber said. "Every time someone says something, a week or two later, you'll see her speaking up in support of her husband."

Mr Trump tends to say whatever is on his mind, while Mrs Melania often keeps quiet, leading many to wonder if she "can't stand" her husband. Some people think that the aggressive actions she has shown, such as pushing her husband's hand away, are signs that the two are "not getting along".

But Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania's former friend and adviser, said such speculations were untrue. "She's always been clear about what she's going to do and what she wants to do," Wolkoff said. "Her catchphrase is, 'Give me some time.'"

Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's former chief of staff, said Melania did not like stories that portrayed her as a woman who needed saving. Grisham confirmed that Melania was angry with her husband and unhappy after the news about Stormy Daniels broke.

But her reasons for being absent were more prosaic. She didn't like doing certain things, and she felt her husband didn't need her to do them. She seemed to be a little uncomfortable with Jill Biden's constant presence with Joe, and once said she didn't need to "lift her husband up" in that way, according to Grisham.

Silence is Melania's "armor," Winston Wolkoff said. "Her protection from being understood is her way of protecting herself," and she and Melania once wrote a list of words to describe the former first lady as "confident, strong, and independent."

“We talked about how her deliberately low-key approach to the media would lead to speculation and ultimately maintain the mystery,” Wolkoff said. The armor has been effective. In a recent interview with Megyn Kelly, Trump said, “I think mystery is part of the beauty” when asked about Melania’s whereabouts.

Mrs. Melania and her husband at the ceremony announcing Mr. Trump's run for the White House, at Mar-a-Lago on November 15, 2022. Photo: AFP

Former staffers described Melania as “demanding, opinionated, and personable.” She could be frustrating to work with. Wolkoff, who wrote a memoir about the Trump family, said she was shocked when Melania moved into the White House several months after Trump took office.

There are many reasons, one of which is that Melania refused to live in the White House until new sanitary equipment was installed there. She is not afraid to speak her mind and make demands, even to her powerful husband.

"The thing I admire most about her is that she always does what she wants," Grisham said. "She's pretty much the only person I've ever seen who can keep her husband down."

Mrs. Melania often does not appear by Mr. Trump's side for long periods of time, but is always the first person he calls after campaign events or when he needs advice.

“He would call her from the Oval Office all the time,” a former staffer said. During his 2020 re-election announcement, “he called her and said, ‘Should I take the escalator again?’ She said, ‘No, I’ve taken it once.’”

Melania occasionally attended backstage events on the campaign trail. According to one staffer, she was “never shy about voicing her opinions.” Trump listened to his wife, but did not always follow her lead. She once asked him to stop mocking transgender athletes and gesticulating on stage, but he did it anyway.

Melania has never been interested in politics and dislikes being stuck at events where her husband “talks on and on and she just sits there, smiling,” her former staffer said. People often pester Melania by hugging her, or asking what perfume or sunglasses she wears.

“I think she didn’t want him to run again,” the staffer said. “But she never said it out loud.”

Wolkoff said those who think Mr. Trump is losing support are delusional, because Melania will continue to support her husband.

"She has always stood by him and will continue to stand by him, because she is just like him," Wolkoff said. "It was a transactional marriage for both of them. She knew who she was marrying and warned him that all his secrets would be exposed if he ran for president. She knew what kind of trouble she was getting into. She accepted it and will continue to accept it. You would be surprised how much they agree on everything."

So where is Melania? She's where she wants to be, which is what happens at the White House. Grisham says she can cancel at the last minute, often turns down small-scale events, and doesn't seem to care that "showing up for something like a ribbon cutting will make people happy and put you in the news."

According to Grisham, even Melania's top advisers don't know exactly what she does in the White House. "She's always mysterious," Grisham said, noting that staff often think she's shopping online or reading a magazine.

During the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, 2021, Melania was overseeing the White House carpet photoshoot and did not want to issue a statement. The former first lady has said she would have criticized the violence if she had been "fully briefed" and that the photoshoot was "very important, requiring care, attention to detail and a high level of concentration."

Grisham said it was difficult to convince Melania to attend the weekend events. She often complained about the time it took to accompany her husband and not playing any role in the events. She often declined when campaign officials wanted her to attend, citing the need to spend more time with her son. She is a devoted mother. Barron, who attends high school in Palm Beach, is a big reason she spends so much time at Mar-a-Lago.

“That's another shield,” Wolkoff said. “You can't speak ill of a caring mother.”

Former aides say the Trumps’ living quarters are relatively small. Melania often visits the sauna. She sometimes joins Trump for dinner on the patio. Melania’s social circle is small. She spends time with her parents, hangs out with a handful of friends and continues to employ a stylist, who was paid $108,000 in the first six months of this year.

Trump campaign advisers expect her to attend some events in 2024. However, Leber expressed, "I don't care. Melania wants to be alone, leave her alone."

Where is former US First Lady Melania Trump?

Melania appeared at the Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago on October 31. Video : X/Carolin Wren

For those still curious about Melania, a huge Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago in late October was a clue. The party featured a Joe Biden impersonator and another impersonating his son Hunter. A woman held a microphone and pretended to interview a Trump mannequin.

Then the former president appeared, clapping and pumping his fist, as guests cheered. Standing next to him was Melania, making her first appearance on camera in seven months. She sat at a roped-off table, not speaking. But for those still wondering where she was, the answer was that Melania was where she always was.

Hong Hanh (According to Washington Post )

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