As Joe Biden took the stage after a troubling performance during the 90-minute presidential debate against Donald Trump, his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, was the first person to come to his rescue.
When she took the stage to praise her 81-year-old husband for “answering every question” and “knowing all the facts,” it didn’t seem to convince voters that the incumbent candidate is up to the job, but it was more family support which Donald Trump enjoyed.
The 78-year-old former US president left the stage only after his slightly better performance in the debate, as his wife, Melania, 54, was once again absent.
It marked another chapter in Trump’s lonely election campaign, in which he frequently appears alone; a stark contrast to his 2016 attempt to win the keys to the White House, which was a family affair; with Melania, her daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr and Eric taking center stage.
However, the early stages of this year’s presidential campaign are taking place in the wake of a criminal trial in which Trump was convicted of making hush payments using campaign money to porn star Stormy Daniels over a previous affair when Melania was pregnant with his son, Barron — something Trump denies.
As Donald Trump makes another bid for the White House in the November 2024 presidential election, the woman who stood by his side during his first campaign, Melania Trump, is missing in action (couple pictured together at Barron’s graduation)
As both candidates prepared to take the stage in Atlanta, GA last night, there were rumors about whether Melania would be waiting in the wings to watch her husband.
The former president stepped off Trump Force One alone when he arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.
In contrast, the White House has announced that Jill Biden will attend the debate and a rally with President Biden on Friday in Atlanta.
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, was solitary on stage last night when he faced off against Joe Biden in Atlanta, Florida.
“Families began attending debates regularly in 1976 and it would be quite shocking for a candidate’s wife to break that tradition,” said presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky.
Melania’s absence comes amid reports that she may not live in Washington DC full-time if her husband wins the 2024 presidential election in November.
Those close to the former first lady believe she will likely split her time between Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York City, especially since Barron, 18, is expected to attend New York University.
Instead, Melania would only travel to Washington, DC for ceremonial responsibilities such as state dinners and other special events.
Melania’s absence during this campaign contrasts with that of 2016, when she was always at her husband’s side and played a leading role in his candidacy for the presidency.
If Trump wins the White House again in November, it has been reported that Melania will not live in Washington DC full-time and will instead join her son Barron (pictured) in New York.
The decision not to live in Washington is an unprecedented move for a first lady and a break with two and a half centuries of tradition.
“She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington political and social scene,” Kate Andersen Brower, who has written several books about first ladies, told Axios.
“I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.”
And if Trump wins in November, insiders say she will continue to stay away from the East Wing and DC.
‘Melania does what Melania wants.’ Washington Post associate editor Mary Jordan, who has written a book about Melania saying that she makes her “stand out among other first ladies.”
Melania’s absence comes in the wake of Donald Trump’s trial for the silence of his followers, in which he was found guilty of electoral fraud for payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
However, her recent absence comes in the wake of her husband’s hush money trial in New York, in which he was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws.
The trial focused on campaign fund payments made in the 2016 presidential election to porn star Stormy Daniels, with whom he had an affair when Melania was pregnant with Barron.
In blistering testimony, Daniels took the stand to eviscerate Trump as she gave an excruciatingly detailed account of her night with the then-businessman.
She detailed how she had sex with Trump in the “missionary position” while still wearing her bra, accused him of not using protection and painted a picture of how Trump was lying with his arms and legs spread wide on the bed waiting for her while wearing a T-shirt and boxer briefs.
Daniels also claimed she “slapped” the president with a rolled-up magazine.
The incident allegedly occurred 18 years ago, a year after President Trump married Melania, and shortly after she became pregnant with their son Barron.
Although Melania likely knew many of the details before the trial, former Trump adviser Michael Cohen offered a line that may have been harsh: that the president “wasn’t thinking” about Melania when choosing to silence the link with Daniels because : “This was all for the campaign.”
Cohen further testified that when he asked Trump if news of the affair might lead Melania to divorce him, Trump casually replied: “Don’t worry… How long do you think I’ll be on the market?”
In April, a source told the New York Times that Melania had accepted Trump’s argument that the case against her was a “disgrace” — a cynical attempt to damage her electoral prospects.
However, if Donald Trump had expected a public statement of support from his wife, he did not receive it. Indeed, according to sources close to him, Melania has privately referred to the Daniels case as “her problem.”
Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former press secretary and chief of staff, said she knew Melania’s absence from her trial “absolutely upsets him,” adding: “If Mrs. Trump wasn’t at some event (when Trump was president) and really noticed, I would definitely bring it up with her.”
As the gruesome details of the trial leaked and made headlines around the world, Melania stayed away and was not seen in public until a few days after the trial concluded.
Even Trump’s children, who have also taken a backseat during this campaign, supported the Republican candidate at his trial: Eric, Donald Jr and Tiffany attended the courtroom, while his golden daughter, Ivanka, posted on Instagram: “I love you, daddy.”
After the trial concluded, experts suggested that Melania’s presence in court would have greatly helped her campaign hopes.
Despite Trump’s 34 convictions, he continues to rally support at events across the country, but notably, Melania has not been by his side at any campaign events so far this year.
“Stay tuned,” Melania said last month when asked if Americans could expect to see more of her on the campaign trail soon.
Although she has not made any public appearances with her husband during the campaign, she is said to be attending some private fundraising events.
The last time the couple was seen together in public was on May 17, at their son’s high school graduation.
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