The question of whether or not Melania Trump will attend Thursday night’s presidential debate remains a mystery as doubts grow over whether the former first lady will publicly campaign with her husband.
The Trump campaign, in a conference call with reporters, was unable to say whether it would be at the first face-off between Trump and Joe Biden in Atlanta on Thursday night.
“I think we’ll probably make our announcement at the debate,” said campaign adviser Jason Miller.
The former president stepped off Trump Force One alone when he arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.
The question of whether or not Melania Trump will attend Thursday night’s presidential debate remains a mystery as doubts grow over whether the former first lady will publicly campaign with her husband.
In contrast, the White House has announced that Jill Biden will attend the debate and a rally with President Biden on Friday in Atlanta.
“Families began regularly attending the debates in 1976 and it would be quite shocking for a candidate’s wife to break that tradition,” said presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky.
The mystery surrounding the first lady’s attendance comes following a new report that she may not live in Washington, D.C. full-time if her husband wins a second term in the White House.
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. , Axios reported.
Instead, Melania would only travel to Washington, DC for ceremonial responsibilities such as state dinners and other special events.
His office did not respond to a request from DailyMail.com for comment on the report.
The Trump campaign, in a conference call with reporters, could not answer whether she would be present for the first face-off between Trump and Joe Biden in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Donald Trump walks alone on Trump Force One when he arrived in Atlanta
“They’ve drawn a curtain of privacy” around them, said MaryAnne Borrell, a bipartisan professor of government at Connecticut College.
This also comes at a time when his public sightings are rare, particularly when it comes to Donald Trump’s attempt to win a second term in the White House.
Six months into 2024, she still has not appeared at a campaign rally for her husband. She did not appear at Donald Trump’s June 14 birthday party hosted by his fan club.
It would be highly unusual for Melania not to attend Thursday’s debate. She attended every debate in the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.
Melania Trump has rarely shown public support for her husband as he seeks a second term in the White House.
He joined Trump when he announced his 2024 presidential bid in November last year. But otherwise, she only appeared at a fundraiser for her campaign and she went to vote with her husband in the Florida primary.
“Stay tuned,” he told reporters when asked if he would campaign for Trump.
But it is not clear what he meant by that.
The mystery surrounding the first lady’s attendance comes after a new report that she may not live in Washington DC full-time if her husband wins a second term in the White House.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend turned critic of Melania Trump, said the former first lady “has not been by her husband’s side at all” as he seeks to return to the White House.
“I would say several years ago she would have been there more,” Winston Wolkoff said on the MeidasTouch podcast.
Melania Trump will make a rare political appearance on July 8 when she holds a fundraiser for Log Cabin Republicans, the largest conservative LGBTQ+ organization.
The event will be held at Trump Tower in New York and is the second fundraising event he has hosted for the group. The first was at Mar-a-Lago in April.
The July event will charge attendees $100,000 per person.
The last time I saw her in public was in New York City last week, leaving Trump Tower, battling the heat in a summer skirt and white shirt.
The couple was last seen together in public in May at Barron’s high school graduation.