People whose job it is to watch politics with white-hot intensity have noticed that Melania Trump has been “hard to find” of late. She will appear at the occasional Mar-a-Lago event, maybe even a rare trip, but relative to her intensity and loyalty in the last “real campaign” (2016), she has been more unseen than seen.

There are some understandable reasons and regular readers know that we rarely pass up a chance to blast Melania but in this case, she deserves the benefit of the doubt with respect to some matters.

First, she is mourning the death of her mother, Amalija Knavs, and everyone who has gone through an intense period of mourning probably understands that there is a natural reaction to retreat into your own world, even if that is the unhealthy thing to do.

Additionally, Barron is in his final year of high school. Like any mother, she’s probably red-eyed every time she sees him, knowing that he’ll likely be far away at some Ivy League school next year – that’s tough.

And let’s face it (And we’ll own it), her tenure in the White House was anything but enjoyable. Her best friend and her Chief of Staff both wrote scathing tell-alls about her. Yahoo News states that she was betrayed by her staff, but she was the one who turned on Stephanie Winston Wolkolff first, accusing Wolkoff of being involved in the money issues with the Trump hotel.

So it’s not like she enjoyed her time in the White House. But Yahoo points to an even bigger problem. She wanted to be on the cover of Vogue, felt slighted by it, and believed it represented a larger problem.

Melania’s shunning seemed to carry over to the fashion world and her exclusion from the cover of Vogue magazine which was something she desired while in the White House. She had previously been on the cover in 2005 in her wedding dress, but she wasn’t thrilled that she was left out of an opportunity given to Jill Biden and Michelle Obama.

“They’re biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious, she told Fox Nation in 2022. “And I think American people, and everyone sees it. It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do — and I did in the White House — than being on the cover of Vogue.”

Yes, yes – they are biased. And that is Vogue’s right and it’s Cat Fancy’s right – these are private companies that get to make their own decisions whether the subject is happy (or feels slighted) or not.

We have said over and over that if she spent more time looking like normal Americans and less time looking like a Vogue cover model, it may have gone a long way. She would have looked great in a pair of Levis, hiking boots, an Eddie Bauer sweater and maybe a hat… not the one she wore in Africa, a North Face hat.

That and a smile and a laugh.

In addition, Melania is angry that that other First Ladies were welcomed with open arms, and she wasn’t. From Yahoo, “Melania doesn’t feel like the political world rolled out the welcome mat for her as they did with other former first ladies. ‘She tried but was attacked — everything, her shoes, her hair,’ the source noted. ‘The microscope is so intense. The sunglasses she wears all the time are her shield.’”

Fairly or unfairly, Melania has now retreated to places where she feels protected and safe. It could ALL be due to the death of her mother, in which case we would have nothing but compassion. The Barron thing is something every parent goes through, and this parent tears up at what will happen in 2.2 years – so that’s understandable. And it sucks having people talk about your worst qualities, true or not.

All those are legitimate.

But if she’s decided to “hide” during this campaign and only appear in “safe spots” (Like the Republican National Convention), then it’s a little, well, self-absorbed? Maybe not. Presumably, she wasn’t the one who decided to make another run at the White House in 2024.

The irony here is that she has a second chance – a real one – in which she could learn from past mistakes and perhaps make up for them, principally by trusting no one and not redoing a rose garden!

Melania was never a “genius,” but she’s not stupid, either. No one will blame her for not campaigning in a brawl that is getting increasingly hostile and nearly violent. Then again, she could soften some of Trump’s rough edges, which she’s never seemed to have made a priority but works when she does.

The good part? It’s entirely up to Melania as to what she wants to do. Trump wouldn’t dare order her around or she’ll pick up a phone and give People Magazine the biggest exclusive they’ve ever had. To her credit, Melania has stuck with him through some tough times.

It is hard to believe we’re saying this, but one can understand her decision either way.

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Jason Miciak is Features Editor at Political Flare and an Editor at Large for Occupy Democrats and can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak