Politics - News Analysis

Melania and Donald Trump Reportedly Spend ‘Little to No Time’ Together

We don’t see a lot of Melania Trump.

Well, I guess you could say we have seen ALL of Melania Trump, but I digress.

So far her platform of “Be Best” has been a dud. Not only did it originate with a plagiarized pamphlet from the Obamas, but it’s difficult for Melania to preach to anyone to “Be Best” when her own husband is Mussolini incarnate.

In honor of “Be Best,” the Washington Post took a closer look at Melania’s private life. The big revelation: the woman who’s possibly best known for attempting to avoid holding her husband’s hand in public may not like spending time with him in private either.

It wasn’t always like this. Years ago, Melania would enthusiastically voice support for her husband and his interests, like his quest to find President Obama’s birth certificate. But the Post reports that nowadays she lets him revel in right-wing conspiracies on his own:

Donald and Melania Trump’s remarkably separate daily routines begin with him getting up around 5:30 a.m., watching cable news shows and tweeting.

The first lady wakes in her own bedroom a bit later, according to two close friends of the Trumps. She then readies their 12-year-old son for school, including checking to make sure his homework is in his backpack.

Melania is often MIA when the president flees the White House for one of their other residences. Even when they’re both home, it doesn’t appear that they’re following the Obamas’ tradition of a nightly family dinner:

The Trumps are often apart even during their free time, according to several people who know the couple’s schedules. At Mar-a-Lago on holidays and weekends, the president golfs or dines with politicians, business executives and media personalities on the patio, while Melania is often nowhere to be seen. According to several current and former aides, the president and first lady often do not eat together in the White House either.

“They spend very little to no time together,” said one longtime friend of the president.

Contrary to the rumor that Melania actually lives in suburban D.C. near her son Barron’s school, people who work in the White House say she spends a lot of time there, and has a good relationship with the staff. She’s said to be very close to Barron and her parents, which may account for her relative lack of public appearances. The White House would not say where her parents live, or whether they keep a room at the White House like Michelle Obama’s mother.

Melania’s spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, insisted that she’s just focused on her family and role as First Lady, and definitely isn’t avoiding her scandal-plagued husband. “Aside from the president’s solo trips, the family spends most evenings together,” she said.

meet the author

Nicole Hickman James is a lifelong Democrat and political activist who first cut her teeth as a teenager volunteering for Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign. She has worked and volunteered for John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, HFA (Hillary For America), and Organizing For Action. She’s passionate about liberal and progressive causes and considers President Obama her favorite president ever. She holds her Bachelor’s from Boston College in Economics and her Master's from Columbia, also in Economics. When not working as a writer, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three college-aged children.

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