Melania Trump has not been seen in public in more than three weeks and her disappearance is fueling speculation. This is especially true after the Trump Administration announced that Melania will not be attending the North Korea summit in Singapore or the G7meeting in Quebec. The Huffington Post even posted picture of a milk carton with Melania’s picture on the side. Theories range from Melania simply staying out of sight to take care of Barron to the tinfoil hat idea that she is being imprisoned to prevent her from testifying for Robert Mueller.
The First Lady last appeared in public at an event on May 10 greeting three returned prisoners from North Korea. A few days later, Melania checked into Walter Reed National Medical Center on May 14 for a kidney procedure. CNN reported at the time that she was expected to remain in the hospital for “the rest of the week.” Even though Melania was reportedly recovering well, she has not appeared in public, either with the president or by herself, since.
Perhaps most curious, the First Lady did travel with the family to Camp David for a weekend trip on June 1. Donald, Jr., Tiffany, Ivanka and Jared Kushner visited the presidential retreat with President Trump over the weekend without Melania.
On May 30, just prior to the Camp David weekend, Melania’s twitter account did post the message, “I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w [sic] my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!”
Mrs. Trump is scheduled to attend a reception Monday night for Gold Star families, but the event is not open to the public or press. The closed nature of the reception means that it is unlikely that it will erase speculation about why Melania is avoiding the spotlight.
While no one seriously claims that Melania’s disappearance is the result of foul play, there is speculation that her absence may be the result of health problems or marital difficulties. The fact that her absence began after her hospital stay could indicate problems with the recovery.
Melania’s absence from both official and family events may also be related to problems with the president. In the months since the revelation broke about Donald Trump’s affair with stripper Stormy Daniels shortly after Melania gave birth to Trump’s youngest son, Barron, there have been signs that the relationship may be rocky. In April, the First Couple attracted national attention when Melania seemed to resist holding hands with the president. A People report from early May quoted a friend of the family who said, “They [the president and First Lady] spend very little to no time together.”
Melania’s absence and subsequent reports that she will not accompany the president on the big diplomatic trips to Singapore and Quebec lend credence to the reports that the First Lady is not happy with the president. Who could blame her? Dealing with marital infidelity is difficult for any couple, but having the affair and subsequent coverup splashed across national news would make it many times worse. This is especially true for a private person like Melania Trump.
No one outside the Trump family and White House workers knows for sure why Melania is missing or how long her public absence will last. What is certain is that a missing First Lady is very unusual and presents an awkward public relations situation for the Trump Administration.
Originally published
on The Resurgent
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