To Donald Trump’s detriment, and perhaps due to his behavior and “troubles” with the Manhattan criminal case involving affairs with two women and the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, expect Melania Trump to be “missing” from the campaign trail as things really heat up over the summer and then intensify in the fall.

This will hurt Trump tremendously.

Melania is part of Trump’s persona as the invincible man, married to a former “supermodel,” who stood by his side in the White House and could be standing at his side on the campaign trail. Instead, she’ll primarily be staying home – at least, that’s the plan for now. Her absence will be conspicuous.

According to an interview in The Hill. 

“It’s just not her comfort space.”

Fair enough. A campaign for president is probably outside the “comfort space” of nearly half the women (Or men) on Earth. It wasn’t their idea, nor their dream. Still, Melania attended most events the first time around, and her presence – by most accounts – helped calm and counsel him.

One of the sources then addressed the serious concerns about the damage it might have on Trump:

“And I think it’s a real loss, because first ladies are typically helpful on the campaign trail with women, with undecideds, and she has a very compelling story and she’s good at telling it. I respect her for not doing something she doesn’t want to do, but you have to look at it as a detriment to her husband’s campaign.”

She has a million reasons not to want to be on the campaign trail, and there are likely a million ways that it will hurt him, but none more important than the dent it might put on the “invincible man” look that he had with her at his side. It isn’t negligible, nor will it be unnoticed.

“If she’s not on the campaign trail now that her husband is in the middle of a criminal trial, I don’t think she’s going to do it at all. She doesn’t want to be in a position where she’s asked about it.”

Would you want to be asked about it?

We write plenty of articles ripping Mel apart for being a brat. But on this one, she is acting like the grown-up, calling the trial “his problem” and leaving the campaign to the guy who actually wants to be in the White House again. One wonders if he even asked her about her thoughts on running for president again.

This is especially true given the fact that she won’t be asked about her clothes, her policies, her thoughts on a speech – none of the usual questions posed to possible First Ladies. She will be asked about the criminal trials and the women in Trump’s past… and one might want to consider that more could come up. That would keep nearly every woman off the campaign trail.

Who can blame her for not wanting any part of it? After all, as we said in an article on her birthday (Friday), exactly none of this is her fault. Additionally, she is still likely mourning her parents’ loss.

No, on this one, Melania doesn’t deserve to be shredded. She deserves applause… even if we know one guy who won’t be applauding.

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Jason Miciak is the Executive Editor of Political Flare and Editor at Large for Occupy Democrats. He can be reached at [email protected]