When Donald Trump took the stage at Florida’s Palm Beach Convention Center to declare victory in the US election, Melania Trump was the model wife.
The 54-year-old walked on stage hand in hand with President-elect Trump, 78, before praising his “beautiful wife” for her dedication and “working so hard to help people” in his victory speech.
The former First Lady is likely to be back in the White House as Donald Trump hails a new “golden age of America,” during which she is expected to be at his side after four years of avoiding the spotlight. attention and her husband’s numerous scandals. .
Model and businesswoman Melania largely stayed off the campaign trail during this turbulent election, although she appeared at the Republican National Convention in July before introducing her husband at an event at Madison Square Garden last month.
But the intensely private Slovenian-American now finds herself poised for another very public four-year stint in the White House, whose manicured surroundings she once compared to a Venezuelan prison.
Melania Trump with Donald Trump and Barron Trump as she takes the stage in Florida to salute her election victory.
She shared a kiss with the 47th president-elect as he took the stage, after remaining largely invisible during the election campaign.
However, she seemed much more subdued when Trump launched his victory speech.
Friends have suggested that the future first lady may not be enthusiastic about the White House for Donald Trump’s second term.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump exit the Oval Office toward the Rose Garden of the White House in November 2020.
Friends of Melania have reportedly suggested that she will not take up residence in the White House.
Body language expert Judi James has analyzed Melania’s behavior on stage in Florida and believes the new First Lady in honor was a “star in her own right”, shining independently of her newly chosen husband.
And although she smiled boldly as the 45th and 47th presidents took the stage, there was a “familiar awkwardness” to the way the two interacted.
She told Paddy Power Games: “The first time (the 2016 victory speech) Melania was in the chorus again, this time she was promoted as a star in her own right and Trump’s gesticulations and contact rituals with her They gave the impression that he seeks support and strength from her and not the other way around.
He even turned to extend his arms and give her a congratulatory hug. Melania responded with both hands outstretched, palms up, and there was a familiarly awkward moment before the couple docked.
Body language could, he suggested, “reveal a much more united and equal status between POTUS and FLOTUS,” but Ms. James also suggested that Melania might even be briefly spoiling her husband, and retains the upper hand in her personal life after years of avoiding her husband’s spotlight.
“A telltale sign of Melania’s power and confidence came when she reached out to place her hand on Trump’s back and guide him (or gently push him) toward the lectern,” he continued.
“A final sign of Trump’s new power dynamic with Melania came when another man took the microphone and Trump reached out to his wife to poke his fingers into her hand like a little boy seeking comfort from his mother.”
She has been living in an apartment in Trump Tower in New York City with her 18-year-old son Barron while he studies at New York University, and sources have suggested that she will continue to live there and, sometimes at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Melania reportedly hated living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and once infamously compared the presidential palace to a Venezuelan military prison.
In October 2017, the then First Lady met with Lilian Tintori, wife of former Venezuelan political prisoner Leopoldo López, and said that the White House felt as confined as a prison, the Washington Post reported.
Multiple sources confirmed to the newspaper that she had made the comparison to the Ramo Verde prison, where López was reportedly tortured while incarcerated on allegedly politically motivated charges.
Her then-spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, denied making those comments and responded that the First Lady had only offered “words of encouragement and strength” and that she loved living in the White House.
After leaving the White House under the shadow of supporting her husband’s unproven claims of voter fraud, she has largely remained hidden.
For example, she did not accompany her husband to court while he was tried (and convicted of) falsifying business records for money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels after she claimed to have had an affair with Trump.
He was also not there to shake his hand in court in Miami, when he pleaded not guilty to accusations of tampering with classified documents, or in Georgia, where he was charged with crimes related to attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
She stayed away from the campaign trail almost entirely and maintained a supporting role after an attempt on her life in Pennsylvania in July, issuing only one written statement after the shooting.
“When I saw that violent bullet hit my husband, Donald, I realized that my life and Barron’s were on the brink of devastating change,” she wrote, describing Trump as “the generous and caring man I have ever been around.” all the time.” the best of times and the worst of times.”
Donald Trump and Melania Trump after voting in Florida on Tuesday
Family matters seem to be an exception, as she was seen applauding young Barron when he graduated from school in Florida earlier this year.
But overall, the former – and likely future – First Lady has evaded the spotlight and dedicated her time to building her own business empire, away from her husband’s.
Her new memoir, Melania, reveals her desire to be a completely independent woman despite the apparent opulence that comes with being married to Donald Trump.
In the book, hailed by the former president as “the number one best-selling book in the country” in his victory speech, she states: “I am a firm believer in maintaining control over one’s life, regardless of who you marry.”
Financial revelations reported by DailyMail.com show how he has raked in six-figure sums by appearing at Republican events in the years since he left the White House, and even sold a hat he wore on a French state visit for $170,000.
While sales of her memoirs will continue to boost her financial independence, the book failed to shed light on her relationship with her husband, reigniting years of speculation about whether her marriage to Donald is happy.
One of the most revealing passages read: ‘I took pleasure in cooking for him, supporting him in his daily routines and maintaining a beautiful home.
‘My priority was to safeguard his well-being, meticulously attending to every aspect of his life.’
Another suggested that “occasional political disagreements between my husband and I” are “part of our relationship,” but that those disputes are resolved behind closed doors.
The book was not exactly enlightening, except for the revelation that, contrary to traditional Republican values, she was pro-choice on the right to abortion, a clearer position than that of her husband, who has vacillated on the topic for years.
But friends say he will move beyond the apparent indecision that kept him from moving to the White House for five months after the 2016 election and simply choose not to move.
“He definitely won’t be living in Washington again,” a source told People this week.
“She will stay between Florida and New York. She didn’t sign up for this.