How Comfortable Did Melania Trump Really Get as First Lady?
During her second time as a first lady, Melania Trump may not move full-time to the White House. She plans to do things differently this time, continuing to be a tradition breaker as she steps into the spotlight. According to multiple sources, there are still discussions about her schedule and where she will be based.
A first move coming from her was to skip the meeting with the outgoing first lady, Jill Biden, at the White House when President Biden hosted the incoherent president-elect. The meeting was traditionally seen as a symbolic gesture, but Melania made it clear she faced a schedule conflict due to her book commitments.
Melania is already setting the tone for her second term, and she is signaling a more independent approach to her role
While promoting her memoir, Melania shared that she is not anxious when it comes to her role as a First Lady. This time will be different for her because she has more experience and knowledge now; she’s been living at the White House before, and she knows what to expect. Sources are saying that this time she is likely to spend most of her time between Palm Beach and New York rather than the White House. She will still be involved in key events and maintain her priorities and platform as first lady.
When it comes to Donald Trump, during his first term, he spent weekends at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, or at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and he will most likely follow the same pattern. The Bidens, for example, turned their Delaware homes into a weekend retreat, while the White House has been their weekday residence for the past four years.
Because Melania has built a life and a network of friends in Florida in the past years, she will most likely spend significant time there.
The first time her husband got elected, she delayed her move to Washington and remained in New York until her son Barron finished the school year. Now Barron is 18 and he is attending New York University. Sources believe that Melania will spend a lot of time in Trump Tower to be close to him. They have been recently seen in New York, returning from Florida on the president-elect’s private plane.
Sharing her experience when it comes to her son going to college, she confesses, “I wouldn’t say I’m an empty nester. I don’t feel that way.” She was talking about his decision to study in New York which entirely belonged to him, and she respects that. Barron is enjoying his college years, and his mother hopes he has a great experience because his life is very different from the other 18-19 year-olds.
Melania not living full-time at the White House will mark a notable break from tradition, but for those familiar with her, this is not surprising.
Kate Bennet, a former CNN White House correspondent and the author of Free, Melania, who covered her first term, says: “She has the freedom to be as involved or disengaged as she wants.”
Melania also hinted at this with her hands-off approach through the 2024 elections compared to her husband’s previous campaigns. She was much more active in the past, but this time she attended only a few key events.
Sources say that Melania prefers not to be publicly involved, and there were no pushbacks from the president’s elect’s team. However, she is still a constant advisor, offering him guidance behind the scenes, sources say. For example, a source says that she gave him a pep talk before a CNN town hall, and another mentioned her contribution before the June debate with President Biden.
During her first time in the first lady role, Melania kept a low profile, but she embraced the ceremonial aspects of it, hosting the world’s leaders’ spouses and managing state visits and holiday celebrations. Her East Wing team was smaller than that of previous first ladies, with about a dozen staffers.
When she launched her Be Best initiative, focusing on three areas such as children’s well-being, the opioid impact on families, or improving online behaviors, this was a mission that may have seemed odd, but Melania showed interest in revitalizing Be Best and hinted at addressing new issues in the future.
She said in a past interview that she still wants to take care of children. “Children are suffering. We need to help them and educate them.” Kate Bennet raised more questions about Melania’s platform and whether she might bring “Be Best back with more clarity. This is very broad and sometimes even confusing. Curios to see if it streamlines and focuses on two areas or if she will expand the East Wing staff to include a stronger agenda.
After she left the White House, Melania spent her time between New York and Palm Beach. Her husband faced legal issues and campaigned for a third presidential run, while the rest of the Trump family joined him on the campaign trail or in court. Melania preferred to stay out of the public eye and resurfaced to promote jewelry, Christmas décor, and NFTs aimed at supporting foster children.
She didn’t expand her platform, and critics noted that she missed an opportunity to build global recognition. Melania made an appearance at Rosalyn Carter’s funeral, and she later shopped at the fundraisers for the Log Cabin Republicans. She broke from her husband when it came to the abortion issue, stating her pro-choice stance, which Donald Trump reportedly knew about since they first met.
Melania remains politically aligned with her husband, and she advocates for conservative causes, despite her private life
Kate Bennett needed to point out that she is not someone working against the system or looking for ways to rebel, because this is not the way she is. While it’s still unclear what lessons Melania Trump will apply from her first term, she will continue to reshape the role of first lady.
She needs to walk a delicate balance, and even if it’s a tough job, you needs to be smart, but not too smart; to care about your image, but not too much; and have opinions about global issues but share a holiday cookie recipe.
This is a very challenging role in the administration, which is also unfortunately very underappreciated, Bennett added.
If you’re curious about her autobiography book, this is where you can find it: Melania.
In this memoir, Melania reflects on her Slovenian childhood, she talks about the world of fashion both in Europe and New York, where she arrived on a modeling contract. She shares stories from the White House and talks about the causes she advocated for. Melania recalls her meeting with Donald Trump, a chance that changed the course of her life, their special way of communicating, and her time as a first lady who was born outside the United States, a role she embraced with dedication and honor. Overall, she shares her inspiring story, a story of resilience and independence, reflecting strength and an incredible commitment to being your true self.
Read more: We Need to Talk About Melania Trump’s Parents NOW
