Old Photo Of Donald And Melania Trump Proves Their Body Language Wasn't Always So Icy
Melania Trump didn't always try to stay at arm's length from her husband. Photographic evidence exists that, before the first lady started to repeatedly snub Donald Trump's PDA efforts, she used to be a tad more affectionate towards him. In an old 2012 snap Melania posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, she can be seen posing for a group photo alongside Donald, and the former model actually let him put his arm around her. Melania's body is also turned towards her husband rather than away from him, and she managed to plaster a winning smile on her face too. The photo is a far cry from the pictures we typically see of the Trumps these days, so when Melania got caught in an open-mouthed kiss with Donald in 2025, it had everyone talking (and left many of us wishing we'd never seen it).
At @MittRomney event in #NYC w/ @matt_romney @joshromney @realDonaldTrump @tromney #RomneyRyan2012 pic.twitter.com/xOZxZtkG
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) October 16, 2012
The first lady's aloofness when it comes to her longtime husband is well-documented. Not only has Melania barely spent any time at the White House since Donald's second term commenced, but her former aide and friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, even told the BBC's "Newsnight" in 2020 that she believes the couple's marriage is wholly transactional, which would explain the lack of effortless PDA. Wolkoff did concede that there may have been some semblance of romance at the beginning of their relationship, acknowledging, "I do believe it was a magic moment and I also believe it was a made-for-TV moment."
Melania continues to play the role of the adoring wife when necessary
Despite Donald Trump repeatedly proving that he's not winning any husband of the year awards from Melania Trump, the first lady has insisted that she still very much loves him — even though her body language often seems to suggest otherwise. During a September 2024 Fox News interview, Melania was put on the spot when Ainsley Earhardt enquired about what the former model loves about Donald. Melania responded, "His being," before elaborating, "His humor, his personality, his kindness. He's very special. His positivity. His energy, it's unbelievable. Yeah, so we have a beautiful relationship," (via The Cut).
The former model's photographer, Regine Mahaux, echoed these sentiments during a 2025 chat with Hello! magazine. "She's always behind her husband," he disclosed. "It's always her husband first, and I like that; she has strong family values, to be a good wife and to make sure they're happy." Meanwhile, body language experts are increasingly divided over how Melania really feels about her husband, especially given the multiple occasions on which the first lady has seemingly turned down his PDA efforts in full view of the cameras.
For instance, body language experts who spoke to Newsweek in the aftermath of Donald's January 2025 inauguration discussed the infamous air kiss that took place between the couple (Melania's giant hat got in the way — see above for yourself). Some suggested the bestselling author's choice of attire was selected for the very purpose of keeping some distance between herself and her husband, while others considered the air kiss to be a sign that the moment was spontaneous and that the couple is clearly still very much in love.