First Lady Melania Trump has always taken a bit of an unconventional approach to her role as First Lady, at least in the the sense that she seems to be selective about what she participates in. For a period of time during President Donald Trump’s second term, it felt like we were seeing more of her, especially while she was promoting her January 2026 documentary.
However, the fact that she recently skipped the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has people convinced that she’s lying low again (and maybe distancing herself from her husband).
Melania did attend the original White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.
But because of the shooting that happed there, the event was rescheduled for July. Melania did not attend. The White House claimed she missed it due to a prior commitment, though people have questions about what exactly Melania is doing when she’s not at events like these.
After the shooting in April, the president said it was “a rather traumatic experience” for Melania. When asked whether it had scared her, Donald declined to answer directly. “I don’t want to say, and people don’t like having it said that they were scared, but certainly, I mean, who wouldn’t be when you have a situation like that?” he told CBS.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is not the only event or trip that Melania has skipped. In May, Melania did not join her husband in China. Not every event she skips is even political in nature. She did not attend Bettina Anderson’s bridal shower or Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, for example.
She joined her husband for his Fourth of July festivities.
But her appearance at the event on July 4 also led to a lot of speculation about the state of the Trumps’ marriage. While on stage, the president and first lady held hands but seemingly avoided looking at each other. Once they were no longer the center of attention, they appeared a lot more distant.
On The Daily Beast’s Inside Trump’s Head podcast, journalist Joanna Coles talked about how Melania’s public appearances are so infrequent that it’s almost surprising when she actually does attend an event. The journalist noted that Melania has only had about 14-16 public appearances this year.
“What is she doing the rest of the time?” Coles questioned. “I do have questions about her because it’s very odd that she is missing… What she do with all her time?”
And what does it say about her marriage?
On the same podcast, author Michael Wolff said Melania and Donald have the “strangest marriage in the history of all presidential marriages.” He also said that Melania’s tendency to do what she wants makes her unpredictable.
“They don’t know what she’s going to do and they are afraid of it,” Wolff said. He mentioned the time Melania decided to speak out about Jeffrey Epstein.
“I mean, in the times that she has come out, that has not been good for them,” he said. “The Epstein thing, drawing attention to that. Her just peculiar attitude about everything… her strategic absences,” Wolff continued. “This is not good for them, and it’s not necessarily controllable for them.”
Wolff noted that the president probably isn’t a huge fan of how much attention his wife gets, either. He said, “Even more disturbing to the White House is that this business of hers seems to make her the center of attention, which puts her kind of in direct conflict with the President of the United States, who, as we know, can’t stand anyone else being the center of attention. Doesn’t mind you making money, but do not steal the limelight.”
READ NEXT: Donald Trump’s Dancing Is Giving Melania The Ick
