Donald Trump is pulling out all of the stops for his 2024 presidential campaign as the presumed Republican Party nominee. This is his third run for the White House, but he’s largely doing it alone this time since his wife Melania Trump has quietly excused herself from most of the proceedings.
Despite continued promises that the former first lady will be joining her husband, that hasn’t come to fruition, and it looks like it won’t happen anytime soon. According to Donald Trump insiders, Melania holds all of the cards, and the former president has little-to-no say in the matter. “She’ll definitely have a role, but in terms of what that is, I don’t know,” a campaign insider told CNN. “It is her decision on how much or how little she will be campaigning.”
A pal of Donald Trump’s told the outlet that Melania is “very selective and methodical in what she wants to do and how she presents herself.” While the friend has no problem with her making the best decision for herself, they did note that there are “a lot of intended and unintended consequences” with her absence. The biggest event on the horizon is the Republic National Convention, and while her attendance will be expected, it might not be as high profile as it has been in the past.
The GOP convention will be in mid-July, right around the time she’s getting Barron Trump, 18, ready for his first year of college. Melania has been a dedicated parent to her son and that will always take priority over Donald Trump’s political ambitions. The former first lady is also mourning the January passing of her mother, Amalija Knavs, whom she was very close to.
Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former chief of staff has told people over and over again that the former first lady has a mind of her own and no one can dictate her calendar. “Melania has said, ‘I don’t need to stand by Donald like Jill Biden; it is like she’s holding Joe Biden up,’” Grisham explained. “She is very much not going to do the Hillary Clinton ‘stand by your man’ thing.”
Melania is holding to her promise to “stay tuned” for her future appearances — it could be tomorrow, or it could be months down the line whether Donald Trump likes it or not.
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