A wing of the White House has been in the dark for weeks. The lights are off, the windows are closed: the corner historically reserved for the First Lady seems abandoned. And indeed, Melania Trump, more than 100 days after her husband’s inauguration, has rarely been seen in Washington. According to sources close to the administration, she has spent less than two weeks at the presidential residence.
In her absence, the mystery grows. The American press jokes, saying it’s “like having Greta Garbo as first lady.” Increasingly elusive, Mrs. Trump splits her time between her Manhattan penthouse and the over-the-top elegance of Mar-a-Lago, rarely attending official events, and almost never appearing in public. Even when she does, she leaves more questions than answers behind her.
She is expected in Washington on Thursday for a ceremony in honor of Barbara Bush and for an event dedicated to military mothers. However, as observers and journalists note, her presence in the capital is the exception, not the rule. Even inside the White House, where she has hired a staff for the East Wing, her presence is rare. It is not she who welcomes visitors, chooses furnishings, or organizes receptions. In several cases, it has been the president himself who has taken on those roles traditionally assigned to the spouse.
According to those who know her well, Melania prefers a private life. The recent loss of her mother, Amalija Knavs, and the constant presence of her father, Viktor, seem to have strengthened her tendency to retreat. Although her son Barron is now independent, the woman continues to claim motherhood as her priority even while many see it as a pretext to justify her unwillingness to carry out the traditional duties of the President’s consort. In a rare television interview, she explained that her role remains that of a mother, wife, and only lastly, First Lady.
However, her distance from public life does not mean inactivity, although of a more personal nature. In January, she launched her own cryptocurrency, $MELANIA, and signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Amazon for a documentary about her experience at the White House. Nevertheless, even this project appears shrouded in the same secrecy that surrounds her: filming has begun, but nothing has leaked about the contents.
Within the administration, the topic of “Melania” is considered sensitive. This is evident from the silence with which officials from the East and West Wings have responded to requests for clarification about her agenda. No one wants to speak out, and no one seems to know exactly where she is or when she will return.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, more firmly in power and more self-assured than ever, moves forward on his own. His wife accompanies him sporadically, as she did recently in the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis. Upon their return to America, on her 55th birthday, the two quietly parted ways: he boarded the presidential helicopter, and she drove off to unknown destinations.
