Will you emerge in the flames of glory’s support – or will you despise him and sink his darkest days into deeper despair? Amazingly, it was the latter.
As Donald Trump’s family — Don Jr., Eric, and Tiffany — dutifully made their way to the Mar-a-Lago ballroom Wednesday night, the most notable absence wasn’t that of his daughter Ivanka, but of his sphinx-like wife, Melania.
But can you blame her? For how angry she is with her husband, this lousy saga sustains vile allegations that Trump paid former porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an extramarital affair.
Because the former First Lady now faces up to a year and a half of airing her dirty clothes in public, repeatedly reminding the world of her husband’s infidelity as the criminal case continues in New York.
However, Melania’s no-show came in stark contrast to last week, when a photo surfaced of the couple with friends at Trump’s Palm Beach resort, despite recent news of his imminent conviction and arrest.
Trump ally Gina Loudon, who took the photo, described the scene as one of “love” and “happiness.”
Melania Trump failed to show up for her husband Donald’s speech at Mar-a-Lago after his historic arrest and trial in New York
Donald and Melania Trump were pictured together last week at Trump’s Palm Beach resort, following recent news of his conviction and imminent arrest.
Former porn star Stormy Daniels was allegedly paid hush money by Donald Trump to hide an affair
A source confirmed to DailyMail.com: “Mrs. Trump…is standing behind her husband, as she always has.”
However, on what was perhaps the most important day of her husband’s career, this It was the moment — the powerful response speech that followed his historic accusations — where Melania’s reassuring presence could have shattered her image as the reluctant, “caged” wife, as is so often the case.
But that was not the case. And, of course, her notable absence from Trump’s speech — which took place in the same ballroom where they’ve been married 18 years ago — immediately sparked speculation across every media site.
Was Wednesday’s indictment drama the last straw that broke the camel’s back?
Now DailyMail.com has new insight into the rumors that have dogged Melania, 52, time and time again since the early days of Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Just about everyone, from satellite news networks to sullen fans on Twitter, has at some point kept her captive to an unhappy marriage to a man 24 years her senior — only for her to defy expectations.
Throughout Trump’s turbulent presidency, social media has been lighting up with calls for #FreeMelania. Embarrassing videos of her turning away from his attempts to grab her hand in public were shown as evidence of her alleged “captivity”. Some have even likened the situation to domestic violence.
Eric Trump, pictured with his wife Lara (left), and Tiffany Trump (right) were present at their father’s Mar-a-Lago speech
Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, were also seen at Mar-a-Lago
In a 2018 memoir, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman — who was fired by Trump during his first year in office and memorably nicknamed “Wacky” Omarosa — wrote: “Melania counts every minute until he gets out of office and she can. shot.
However, just this past May, the former first lady smiled and told Fox News “never say never” when asked about a possible return to the White House.
Indeed, “miserable Melania” is a label that is hard to shake despite clear evidence to the contrary.
It should be noted that in January 2018, days after The Wall Street Journal revealed Trump’s alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, the first lady canceled plans to accompany her husband to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She blamed it on “scheduling and logistics”.
In a 2018 memoir, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman — who was fired by Trump during his first year in office and memorably nicknamed “Wacky” Omarosa — wrote: “Melania counts every minute until he gets out of office and she can. shot.
However, just this past May, the former first lady smiled and told Fox News “never say never” when asked about a possible return to the White House.
Indeed, “miserable Melania” is a label that is hard to shake despite clear evidence to the contrary.
Donald Trump makes his way to a courtroom in Manhattan on Wednesday
It should be noted that in January 2018, days after The Wall Street Journal revealed Trump’s alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, the first lady canceled plans to accompany her husband to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She blamed it on “scheduling and logistics”.
As expected, the media went berserk.
However, just a few weeks later, she appeared again — smiling and supportive, dressed in angelic white at Trump’s State of the Union address. The crowd greeted her with thunderous applause – and the rumors died down again.
As recently as last Thursday, The View talk show host Sarah Haines speculated whether Melania’s marriage was a bargain: “There could be money in exchange, deals, arrangements.”
The theory that her reasons for staying married are financial, of course, is not new.
A 2020 book by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan alleged that part of the reason Melania delayed moving into the White House from Trump Tower until 2017 was because she was renegotiating her prenuptial agreement.
Although the details of the agreement remain murky, Jordan noted that initially it “wasn’t incredibly generous.” The ironic suggestion was that she had since gotten a better “deal”.
Melania Trump photographed on her wedding day in 2005
Donald and Melania Trump at the New Year’s Eve party in Mar-a-Lago last year
However, some who have known Melania well over the years say she is unfairly disgraced – and often underestimated.
Born to a car salesman and factory worker, the Slovenian immigrant who grew up under communism — before moving to New York in 1996 — knew exactly what kind of man she was marrying. And that she is proud of her amazing role in her destiny to become the second First Lady to be born outside the United States.
Speaking to DailyMail.com this week, Melania’s former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, who resigned after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, said: “I think Melania knew who her husband was when she married him.” She has a very realistic and practical view of her husband. She never mentioned divorce. And when it comes to Stormy, she always says this: “His problem.”
I wasn’t surprised it wasn’t (at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday). She does not want to be seen as the wife who will be by her husband’s side no matter what he does. She added that she puts herself first.
She never wanted to be like Hillary Clinton. After the news of Monica Lewinsky broke and she (Hillary) still took her husband to the chopper during lunch… Melania didn’t want to be that person. She just wouldn’t be some shrinking Violet standing next to him.
Could this be the reason for Melania’s apparent absence?
Certainly, Grisham — who has remained relatively loyal to Melania, despite her outspoken criticism of Trump — paints a portrait of a more assertive and engaged woman than the icy, vacuous horse so often caricatured.
She portrayed a young Melania Trump in her modeling days
“They always seemed to have a partnership with me,” said Grisham. “He used to really look to her for advice and take her advice seriously.”
This chimes with the surprising revelation by former acting defense secretary Christopher Miller, who wrote in his memoirs this year that Melania sat next to Trump in the Situation Room during the October 2019 raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
According to Miller, it was Melania who suggested Trump make a public statement about the assassination in the style of Barack Obama’s famous Osama bin Laden speech.
In 2018, when Melania visited a child migrant detention center wearing a jacket with the words “I really don’t care, do I?” , was criticized for being painfully disconnected from her.
While her expertise isn’t in public speaking, and her preference is generally to stay away from scandal, Melania did take the highly erratic step of speaking in person in an interview about the tasteless stunt.
She said: (It was) a kind of message. It was for left-wing people and media criticizing me. I want to show them that I don’t care. You can criticize what you want to say. But it won’t stop me (from doing) what I feel is right.
It was a fleeting public display of confidence — perhaps even aggression — that could betray a more fiery private character.
Newlyweds Donald and Melania Trump pictured together in 2006
Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, recently moved away from Donald and even moved to Miami with their two young children.
After all, this is the woman who revealed in a 2016 interview about how she met Trump: “He wanted my number, but he was with a date, so of course I didn’t give it to him.” I said, “I don’t give you my number; you give me yours, and I’ll call you.”
Unlike Ivanka — formerly a fierce advocate and beloved first daughter of Trump — Melania has yet to waver in her apparent support for Trump, at least in her public statements.
Following last week’s news of Trump’s indictment, Ivanka — who recently estranged from her father and moved to Miami with husband Jared Kushner and their young children — issued a somewhat bizarre and conflicted statement.
I love my parents and I love my country. And she said today that I ache for both of them.
For her part, until we hear otherwise at least, Melania has yet to change the official line that she’s firmly ‘standing behind her husband’ – despite the humiliation she must feel over the Stormy Daniels affair.
Yes, her absence at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday raises new questions about the stability of the Trump family’s marriage — but any sane person also knows better than to write off the woman who has repeatedly baffled her critics.
