Hieratic, distant, and enigmatic. Three attributes that describe Melania Trump (54) from a distance, who on Monday becomes the first lady of the United States for the second time. There are many unknowns about this new period since in the previous occasion, she focused mainly on her duties as a mother from her luxurious triplex at the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Coincidentally, two days after the inauguration, the Trumps will celebrate their twenty years of marriage at the White House. From this stable relationship, their only son Barron (19) was born, a student at the Stern School of Business at New York University (NYU). Melania will have her base of operations in Washington because she wants to serve the country, but she has also made it clear that her son is part of the equation, and whenever he needs her, she will travel to the city of skyscrapers.
The same will happen in Palm Beach, where the couple has been residing in their lavish Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving the presidential mansion. They did not return to New York because they are still unwelcome there.
The steps that the former Slovenian model will take are a mystery. It is known that she will continue to support and dedicate more time to BeBest, a campaign that fights against cyberbullying among young people. A reality she experienced firsthand when her son was abused several years ago. Paradoxically, Trump (78) is a true savage in X. As he stated on Fox News, a staunch Trump supporter: "I started in the first term, without support from anyone, I invited platforms to a roundtable at the White House and did not receive much support. Imagine what I could have done in those years if they had supported me to educate children and protect them from social media and their mental health."
While residing in the White House, Melania will stay in the two-bedroom suite where Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, stayed, while the president will stay in the presidential suite. This is what she did in the previous term, as stated by Kate Bennett in her book Free, Melania. What will be different from a family point of view is the absence of Barron, although he will return whenever he wishes. Jared Kushner (44) and Ivanka Trump (43), who had important roles in the previous term, will not be there. The couple is also not welcome in New York, so they bought one of Julio Iglesias' plots on Indian Creek Island for 26 million euros.
Melania revealed to Fox News that she "will be able to bring friends, organize small events... whatever makes her comfortable. As a child, we taught them, guided them, and now we give them wings to fly. I have always respected Barron, his decisions, what he wants to do, where he wants to be."
It remains to be seen which first lady traditions she will break this time since previously she refused to accept protocols, acted more as a protective mother than a presidential companion, and barely gave speeches. Starting from January 20, she comes with more experience and knowledge. What she is clear about is that she needs to hire some more staff, but without overdoing it as she respects the taxpayer.
As an anecdote, the day before the inauguration, the 47th first lady launched her meme cryptocurrency ($MELANIA), which in a few hours increased its value by 10,000%. In this way, she followed the path of her husband who had commercialized his token $TRUMP.