The Rumored Reason Melania Trump Skips Public Appearances With Donald
There's a reason why Melania Trump often skipped her husband Donald Trump's public appearances when he was still on the campaign trail. While it's no secret that the former first lady has always been a very private person, both Donald's fans and critics have noticed that Melania had missed out on a lot of his rallies and events when he was traveling the country in the hopes of winning a second term in office. While some might see it as a sign that Donald and Melania's marriage might be on the rocks, the answer regarding Melania's absence might be something much simpler.
It seems like the real reason why Melania opted to stay behind was because of the unwanted attention that she was getting from both reporters and her husband's fan base. The excessive scrutiny was apparently unpleasant for Melania, so she is now choosing to skip these political events rather than subject herself to the invasive questions, or sometimes even invasive physical contact, that she dealt with for years during Donald Trump's first run and presidential term.
Melania Trump preferred to stay at home while Donald was on the campaign trail
Back in 2020, Melania Trump was missing from the public eye so much that Donald Trump was forced to explain her absence on the campaign trail. Melania did show up to an event in late October, per CNN. However, the last time she was at a rally prior to that was in June 2019, so she was missing for well over a year.
In an interview with "Meet The Press," in September 2023, the former president said he actually didn't want her there. He said (via the Daily Beast): "Honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It's so nasty and so mean." Donald might have been right when he said that things had often gotten "so nasty and so mean," as Melania didn't like some of the questions she was being asked by the people at her husband's events. For instance, although Melania was a former model with some great stylish moments, she didn't enjoy being questioned about her fashion choices.
According to one former staffer who spoke to The Washington Post, some Trump supporters also got uncomfortably physically close to Melania, saying they "get creepy and invasive with her." Plus, there's a chance that Melania might have felt bored because she didn't have much of a role in her husband's campaign. The ex-staffer also added, "I can't imagine she wanted him to run again. But she would never say that."
Melania Trump and Jill Biden take different tactics in regard to campaigning
It seems like not much has changed between the 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, as Melania Trump still prefers to stay under the radar in 2023, even though her husband Donald Trump has been hitting the road in his bid for a second term in The White House.
According to Newsweek, Donald was asked about his wife's whereabouts in an interview with Megyn Kelly on her Sirius XM radio show in September 2023. He didn't explain where she was, saying "I think part of the beauty is that mystery," but he did state that Melania "doesn't need to be out there [to get interviewed]." However, The New York Times said that Donald has been asking his wife to join him on the 2023 campaign trail, but she again prefers to sit them out.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, clocked in her sky miles by hitting the campaign trail all over the country back in October 2022, per the New York Times, and got to work again in September 2023. Even The Hill noted how active Jill has been in supporting her husband's bid for re-election while Melania has mostly stayed out of the campaign spotlight. "We are seeing Jill Biden ... capitalizing on her greater popularity in comparison to her husband's," Katherine Sibley, director of American Studies Program at St. Joseph's University, told the publication.
If there ever was a tale of two very different first ladies, it would be this.