Melania Trump: Influenced private, but publicly absent

Melania Trump: Influenced private, but publicly absent

Melania Trump had not been seen in the White House for over a month. But when her husband has an important summit in Alaska his Russian counterpart prepared to bring about a conclusion to the war in Ukraine, the First Lady practiced diplomacy. In her letter to President Putin, she wrote: "Dear President Putin, every child has the same quiet dreams in their hearts, whether they were born by chance in a rural area or in a magnificent city center. They dream of love, possibilities and safety from danger."

An influence in the background

According to the observers, who know the first lady, this underlines the subtle but influential role that they in the Second term of office Donald Trumps played, despite her physical absence from Washington. Melania Trump is rarely seen in public. She did not accompany her husband when he delivered her letter to President Putin during the summit in Anchorage, nor was she present at the White House when he received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders a few days later. She has made public appearances on just 19 days so far during her current term, compared to 40 appearances at this point during her previous term.

Communication with the president

However, Donald Trump is in frequent contact with his wife, often through text messages or calls that are exchanged during the day, said sources. Similar to her husband, First Lady consumes a variety of news reports. Donald Trump said that Melania Trump expressed healthy skepticism after talking to Putin. "I say first lady: 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today - we had a wonderful conversation.' She said: 'Oh, really? Another city was just hit.'" This moment offered a rare insight into how the Trumps communicate.

Children in focus

In her letter to Putin, Trump spoke indirectly about the "darkness" for children who are affected by the war and told the Russian leader that he has the power to "restore her melodic laugh alone". Although it did not mention Ukraine, thousands of Ukrainian children have been said to kidnapped have been. While the most recent comments by the President about his wife's strong reactions when the war in the Russian state media came across criticism, they also produced appreciative memes, which they represent as "Agent Melania Trumpenko".

Melania Trump has not publicly commented on Ukraine or Gazas, but her reactions - according to the President - offer a kind of reality test in relation to the wars he promises, but has not yet ended. "She finds it terrible," said Donald Trump about the pictures from Gaza last month that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had contested that they were hungry.

Commitment to the safety of children

The common topic in these discussions is the threat to children. "Ms. Trump constantly focused on the security of children and their future," said Anita McBride, the former chief of staff of First Lady Laura Bush and director of the "Legacies of America’s First Ladies" initiative at American University. Melania Trump also brings her unique perspective because she was born in 1970 in the then communist Yugoslavia and knows the effects of aggression first -hand.

Her commitment is not without precedent: McBride pointed out that Nancy Reagan spoke directly to the President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to look for peace and that she wrote to his wife before an important meeting. Jackie Kennedy wrote to the Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev and expressed her hopes of peace after the death of her husband. Laura Bush turned to reporters in the White House to criticize the regime in Myanmar after a fatal cyclone. "First ladies have a unique moral authority. I praised Ms. Trump for using this platform on important topics, especially in this critical moment in world history," said McBride.

The role of the first lady

The topics that have to do with children also motivated Trump's limited participation in domestic politics - from the support of laws against Deepfake and revenge pornography to an investment of $ 25 million for foster children, who the White House secured in the presidential budget, according to her. These interests have also shaped their choice, where she wants to take on the public role of First Lady.

Nevertheless, their use of this extensive platform is selective - a deviation from most of their predecessors. "People expect or expect the first lady of the United States, no matter who is in office and regardless of the political party," added Bennett. "It is clear that for Melania Trump, at least currently, this is a kind of election and selection role."

The absence of Washington

A central part of this choice consists of its relative absence from Washington. Trump spends her time between New York and Palm Beach, with weeks of intervals between her travels to the capital. Her last known appearance in the White House was on July 11th when she broke up with the president for a visit to Texas. During her husband's first term, she did not announce her permanent residence in the White House until June 2017. This year, since her son Barron is studying on New York College, her appearances are much less regular.

She took part in more than a dozen public events alongside her husband, accompanied him on two tours after extreme weather events and is happy about three solo events. Nevertheless, she was less in public than on half the days that she had experienced at the time of her husband's first term when she had taken part in several meetings in the Oval Office and press conferences with world leaders and had taken trips to seven countries.

And it also exuberant the symbolic moments that were traditionally visited by its predecessors, such as the unveiling of a flagpole and planting a magnolia on the site of the White House.

"I don't think it has anything to do with interpersonal relationships," the informed source told CNN and added: "It is simple - it is not interested" in the side effects of the role.

Protection of your reputation

In the past few weeks she has made considerable efforts to protect her reputation, legal steps to initiate those who have tried to connect them with Jeffrey Epstein, and she received a return and Excuse me from the daily beast. In Washington, she only employs a minimal personnel compared to her first term of office of around 11 employees.

According to the report of July 1, the first Lady had five full -time employees, whose salaries were 634,200 dollars a year. A key role that the social secretary of the White House, who is planning and coordinating all official and personal social events in the White House, is currently vacant. A similar report, which was submitted on July 1, 2024, shows more than 20 employees who work in Jill Bide's office with a salary of almost $ 2.5 million a year.

In a rare interview with FOX News before the return of her husband to office, Melania Trump said that she did not want to "rush" to hire and ensure that her employees "operate me", not pursuing their own agenda-possibly as a response to concern after the resignation of important employees who after the attack on the US capital on January 6th ended became.

A look into the future

This hesitation could result from a series of public cuffs that former employees have committed. So Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former long -time friend and consultant, has Secret recordings Made by first lady and written a book about her relationship. The former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, the stepped down on January 6th, said in front of the house panel that examined the attack and supported Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Congress 2024. However, without a substantial staff, Trump has so far not explained any new political goals or an expansion of her first term "BE BEST" campaign. She has not participated in a single foreign or domestic trip and has not announced any plans for official state visits to the White House.

Nevertheless, her recent – ​​albeit indirect – comments on two difficult conflicts have provided clues to her influence. "When she speaks, people listen - whether that's because it's so rare, I'm not sure, but she definitely has a platform. She should take that up," the informed source said.