According to analysts who keep an eye on the White House and First Ladies living in it who spoke to the Axios, the D.C.-focused news outlet, about the matter, former First Lady Melania Trump will likely not move back to the White House if former President Donald Trump wins another presidential term in the November election.
According to those analysts, former First Lady Melania will instead split her time between the family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and in the famous New York City Trump Tower home, particularly as her son, Barron Trump, 18 years old, will be attending New York University starting this fall, having graduated from his Florida high school.
Melania would also, however, those analysts said, travel to the White House in Washington, D.C. for her ceremonial responsibilities as First Lady, like state dinners in which the president is involved and other special events in which the First Family is traditionally involved. This news comes alongside Melania not spending much time on the campaign trail, despite former President Trump saying she would get out more.
In any case, Kate Andersen Brower, who has written several books on first ladies, said that Melania’s decision to not live in the White House, a break with centuries of tradition, would come as she tries to distance herself from the D.C. scene, which she apparently hated. Brower said, “She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social, political scene.” Brower added, “I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.”
Similarly, Mary Jordan, an associate editor for the Washington Post and the author of a book about Melania, “The Art of Her Deal,” said that “Melania does what Melania wants.” Jordan added that, in doing what she wants, Melania manages to “stand out in history from any other first lady.” Jordan also noted, “Her view is unelected, not paid.”
Jordan also said that if Trump is re-elected, Melania will likely focus on making sure she gets a “better” and “more qualified” staff. Jordan added that the change would come now that Melania knows what she’s getting into, saying, “Now having seen how this works, she would just be wiser and she would be more vocal and more demanding about what the first lady’s office should get.”
Melania’s reported involvement in the event comes after she said, with a characteristic smile, “Stay tuned,” when asked by a reporter in mid-March of 2024 if and when she would be returning to the campaign trail alongside her husband.
Former President Donald Trump said in late February of 2024 that Melania would start appearing at campaign events, though she is generally a very private person and much prefers to be behind the scenes and taking care of their son, Barron, than to be out in the limelight. He said, “It’s funny, she was a very successful model, very, very successful, and yet she was a private person. She’s going to be out a lot. Not because she likes doing it, but she likes the results.” He added, “She wants to see this country really succeed. She loves the country.” He then said, “Melania is a brilliant person. Her life revolves around Barron and the success of our country.”
Continuing, Trump re-emphasized Melania’s private nature compared to other First Ladies. He said, “You know, a lot of first ladies would go out — they want to be everywhere. They get angry at their husband because he’s not introducing them.” He then continued, “If I didn’t introduce Melania, she’d be very happy about it. She’s just a different kind of a person.”
Further, speaking about Melania’s care in raising Barron Trump and how she balances that with her love of country and near-constant charity work, he said, “Her life revolves around that boy. It’s so important to her.” He added, “At the same time, it also revolves around our country and the success of our country. She’s raised a lot of money for charity. She’s a private person.” And, returning to his point about how she doesn’t like being in public but will do so because helping him win is important for the country, Trump added, “And she loves the country. She’s going to be out a lot, but she does it for the good of the country, not for her. She’s somebody with a lot of confidence. She doesn’t need that.”
Watch Trump talk to Ingraham about Melania here:
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