A New Approach?
The day after her husband won the big election, Melania Trump went on social media to talk to the country.
“The majority of Americans have trusted us with this important responsibility,” she said. “We will protect the heart of the country – freedom.” Melania encouraged everyone to rise above their differences for the good of the country.
It was a short message, but it seemed to show that she might do things a bit differently as First Lady this time.
A Different Start
Back in 2016, when Trump first won, Melania didn’t move to the White House right away—she stayed in New York with their son for a while. She seemed unsure about following the usual traditions of First Ladies before her.
But experts think things might change now. Melania will probably be more careful about how she handles the role this time.
The Private First Lady
Melania—born Melanija Knavs in Slovenia—is a former model who traded her glamorous life in New York City for the busy world of politics. She’s always been more private than most First Ladies, giving fewer speeches and keeping a lower profile.
“She’s been different from other modern First Ladies,” says Tammy Vigil, a professor at Boston University. “She does things the way she wants, instead of how people expect her to. But she still meets the basic expectations.”
Recently, Melania has stayed out of the spotlight while Trump dealt with legal issues and campaigned for his second term. This made people wonder, “Where is Melania?”
She did show up for important events, like when Trump announced he was running again in 2022, and she went to the Republican National Convention in a bright red Dior suit—but she didn’t give a speech, which was unusual.
Carefully Chosen Words
When Melania does speak, her words are very carefully chosen. At a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden just before Election Day, she gave a short but strong speech about crime, saying New York City was a “great city” that was struggling because of crime.
She also spoke out after an assassination attempt on Trump, calling for unity and labeling the attacker a “monster.” In a rare interview on Fox, she blamed Trump’s political opponents and the media for making things “toxic” and creating the situation that led to the attack.
Controversies and Surprises
In her recent memoir, Melania said she is pro-choice, which goes against what many people in the Republican Party believe. This was surprising, especially since Trump was having a hard time with the issue after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Melania’s book gives a peek into her life as a model, her admiration for her husband, and some of their political disagreements—though she kept the details private.
Even so, she has supported Trump on some controversial topics, like his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. “I’m not the only one who questions the results,” she wrote. About the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021, she said she wasn’t aware of what was happening because she was busy with her duties.
Her former press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, wrote that Melania refused to make a statement against the violence on January 6, which led Grisham to resign. Some people have wondered if Melania even liked being First Lady, but her biographer, Kate Bennett, thinks she did.
“She liked all the perks of being First Lady and living in the White House,” Bennett said in an interview. “I think she actually really enjoyed it.”
A Strong Sense of Duty
In her memoir, Melania wrote that she felt a strong responsibility to use her position for good. She mentioned in a 1999 interview that if Trump ever became president, she’d look up to former First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Betty Ford, calling them “very traditional.”
Once she moved to Washington, Melania started doing more First Lady duties like hosting dinners for important guests and decorating the White House. Her fashion choices got a lot of attention, especially in 2018 when she wore a jacket that said, “I really don’t care, do you?” during a visit to a migrant child detention center. She later said it was a message for the “left-wing media” who were criticizing her.
Melania faced more backlash when she was secretly recorded by a former friend, complaining about being criticized for her husband’s child separation policy. She later said she was caught off guard by the policy and told Trump she didn’t support it. The policy was eventually dropped because of the huge controversy.
Overcoming Challenges
According to Prof Vigil, one of Melania’s biggest challenges was her lack of political experience, along with having staff who were also inexperienced and sometimes disloyal. Despite this, Melania stayed quietly busy, working on children’s welfare through her “Be Best” campaign against online bullying. She also helped kids affected by the opioid crisis and started a foundation for children in foster care.
Many people think she’ll keep doing that work if she goes back to Washington, though it’s not clear if she’ll live there full-time. Prof Vigil says Melania will decide how public she wants to be this time. And if we know anything about Melania, it’s that she’ll do things her way—and she’ll do it thoughtfully.