Theories, speculations, and reports have long been swirling surrounding Melania Trump’s lack of public appearances with her husband, despite the fact that his 2024 presidential campaign is closing in on crunch time. While the former first lady has been spotted here and there recently, she’s been markedly absent from almost all of Donald’s major events since they departed the White House nearly four years ago, in a cloud of scandal and humiliation.
Over those years, many have chalked it up to Melania’s desire for privacy, especially since multiple sources have spoken out and stated that the ex-FLOTUS really has no interest in returning to the White House for another four years.
However, one CNN correspondent has a different theory for Melania’s public absences — and it’s connected to her husband’s infamous hush money scandal.
Former President Trump is going on trial in Manhattan for paying off women whom he’d allegedly had affairs with. The payments were made during the 2016 election cycle and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues that the money was given to the women as “hush money,” to help protect his chances at securing his 2016 victory. According to the DA’s argument, this constitutes illegal campaign fund usage and has earned Trump several felony charges.
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What’s more, those alleged extramarital affairs are said to have taken place within just weeks of Melania giving birth to their only son together, Barron Trump.
Suffice it to say, Trump’s notorious hush money scandal and impending trial have made many headlines lately and CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny suggests that the discomfort and pain of this matter is what’s keeping the former first lady out of the limelight.
On a recent edition of CNN’s Inside Politics, host Dana Bash broached the topic of Melania’s absence on Donald Trump’s campaign trail. Zeleny made the suggestion that the former first lady’s lack of appearances is connected to the hush money trial and further wondered if the media would go as easy on First Lady Dr. Jill Biden if she were the one in this situation.
Mediaite reports on the transcript of the CNN discussion:
DANA BASH: One person who we have not seen very much of at all until recently, when Trump went to vote in the Republican primary in Florida, is his wife, Melania Trump. And our colleague Sunlen Surfaty has another great piece on cnn.com about where she is. Here’s what’s on the reports.
“She’ll definitely have a role. But in terms of what it is, I don’t know. A source close to the Trump campaign said it’s her decision on how much or how little she will be campaigning. She is very selective and methodical in what she wants to do and how she presents herself.”.
As I bring you in to talk about this, our team found, a nugget of sorts, and this is an interview that Trump did with Megyn Kelly back in September of 2023.
DONALD TRUMP: Well, I think part of the beauty is that mystery. She is a much more you know, she’s introspective and she’s confident. She doesn’t need to be interviewed by you to get ripped apart for no reason. She doesn’t need to be out there.
JACKIE KUCINICH: I mean, it’s an unconventional campaign and this is another part of it, but it’s been I mean, this is how, Melania Trump was as first lady, right? She did what she wanted. She showed up when she wanted. She was out there when she wanted. And it doesn’t seem like anything has changed going into the second campaign.
JEFF ZELENY: And we’re about to have a very uncomfortable, a case from the early stages of their marriage, the Stormy Daniels case, which she has talked privately about as being very, you know, a very painful moment. So you have to wonder if that is part of it as well, staying out of the limelight as that case goes through.
But at the end of the day, I’m not sure this matters electorally if she was out campaigning or not. But you do wonder if the shoe was on the other foot, if another spouse was not out, if Michelle Obama had not been out, if Jill Biden is not, I think there would be some questions here. But, as you said, unconventional.
Frankly, I wouldn’t want to show my face in public either.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
