The third wife of Donald J. Trump, 77, is confusing Americans even in this election campaign: With a few exceptions – last week she stood behind her husband as he received an award for winning a tournament at his own golf course in West Palm Beach – she remains practically invisible .
“At the same time, regular performances by the wives of political candidates are actually part of the mandatory program in the USA,” Bild newspaper reminds us.
On Easter Monday, a short video of the former first lady appeared – together with her son Barron (18), she went to Donald Trump’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago for Easter brunch. There was no sign of husband Donald Trump.
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“It’s unclear what role he will play in the election campaign,” an insider to Trump’s campaign staff told CNN.
Now there are even rumors that Melania will not be present at the Republican nominating convention in Milwaukee in August, which her husband intends to treat as a de facto coronation. At the same time, the performance of the wives is always one of the highlights of the convention, and their mission has not changed for decades – they are expected to highlight the human side of the candidate.
“She is very selective and very methodical in her appearances because she knows they can have unintended consequences,” said Donald Trump’s circles.
Melania became painfully aware of how much she could screw up when she took the stage at the 2016 Republican convention. Just a few hours later, it was revealed that much of her speech was copied from Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech. And the result? The Democrats were full of derision.
Stephanie Grisham, her former chief of staff, used a question about Melania Trump’s current and especially future role to take a swipe at the current first lady of the USA. “I think Melania’s style is better than Jill Biden’s, who is frantically trying to keep her husband in power,” she mocked.
Her husband’s scandals trample her
However, Americans have long speculated whether Melania Trump is avoiding the cameras because of her husband’s numerous scandals. Not only is she absent from his campaign appearances, but she has yet to appear in his court cases either.
Jeff Zeleny, a CNN analyst, believes it’s because of the porn star Stormy Daniels’ hush money lawsuit, which is currently being heard in New York. “It’s a very unpleasant case from the first phase of her marriage. In the circle of her friends, she did not hide the fact that it was a very painful moment for her. As long as her humiliating trial is going on, she will stay out of the limelight,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to deny the rumors. “The mystery is part of the beauty of it,” he said at the start of the Republican primary. “She’s a very quiet person and I think that’s what people like about her,” he added.
“Maybe. But one thing is for sure: the longer she doesn’t beat the drums for her husband, the more the rumors will be. The question is whether this will affect the outcome of the election,” Bild pointed out.
“Melania already did what she wanted as the first lady. And he will keep it this time anyway,” Jackie Kucinichová, Washington correspondent for The Boston Globe, has no doubts.
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