Melania Trump has appeared at only a handful of public events this year, fueling speculation. Photo: GABRIELLA AUDI/AFP
Melania Trump's whereabouts have been established. It's an intriguing «mystery» for her Palm Beach neighbors, members of the elite community say.
The former first lady is rarely seen outside of Mar-a-Lago, the private members' club that has become the Trumps' permanent home base since leaving the White House.
Lawrence Leamer, author of a book about Mar-a-Lago and a longtime Palm Beach resident, said: “Nobody knows where she is. It's like a riddle. Of course, they talk about it.”
Before Mrs. Trump became First Lady, she was reportedly frequently seen by members of Mar-a-Lago, especially in the club's beauty salon.
These days, however, residents of the wealthy island enclave say she is rarely seen in public.
“She rarely leaves Mar-a-Lago. They have a strange, isolated life in this place,” Mr Leamer said.
Mr. Leamer, who was banned for life by Trump from Mar-a-Lago for his reporting, said he still has many friends who regularly visit the club and are puzzled by Ms. Trump's conspicuous absence from the social scene.
He said current members report seeing Mrs. Trump at the club far less often, despite the family's living quarters being «just off the main hall.»
Meanwhile, her rare public appearances over the past year, most notably at the naturalization ceremony in Washington earlier this month, have raised a few eyebrows in DC.
Her decision to be a guest speaker at the naturalization ceremony at the National Archives was unusual in many ways.
The Trumps have never tried to hide their disdain for the US capital, making only a few return trips since then. left the White House.
But it was her presence at the National Archives in particular that has drawn intense media attention as the US agency is at the center of Trump's upcoming trial on charges of mishandling classified documents.
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Adding to the intrigue, Mrs. Trump used her speech at the citizenship ceremony to emphasize the importance of the «democratic process» in America, without any apparent hint of irony as her husband awaits trial on charges of election interference.
Her conspicuous absence from the campaign trail and the courtroom as her husband fights criminal charges and tries to reclaim the presidency has drawn the attention of Trump's rivals.
Earlier this year, there were riots in the critical state of Iowa Flyers have been distributed with a photo of Mrs. Trump with the caption «missing» and the question «have you seen this woman» next to Mar-a-Lago's security number.
Leaflets with the caption “missing' were distributed in Iowa earlier this year. Photo: THE WASHINGTON POST
Her low-key reputation has raised questions about what role, if any, she intends to play in Trump's re-election bid. But the Republican leader hinted that Mrs. Trump was doing her part behind the scenes, such as advising him not to dance on stage at rallies.
Addressing a crowd in Iowa, he said: “You know, our first lady hates it when I do this. She says, “Honey, I love you so much, but it's not the presidency when you lift weights, it's not the presidency, or when you swim… or when you dance off stage.”
< p>“Technically, she , probably right. But what the hell,” he added.
This has raised questions about what kind of first lady Mrs. Trump might be if she were given a second role.
Palm Beach insiders described Mrs Trump as fiercely protective of her family, particularly her 17-year-olds. 1-year-old son Barron.
Some suggested Mrs. Trump might be reluctant to return to the White House at a critical time in her son's education, and noted that he would be under more pressure this time. close attention.
“She wants to protect him … and if Trump returns to the White House, Barron will be all over the news because he is [now] an adult,” Mr. Leamer noted.
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Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a business executive who wrote a tell-all book about Mrs. Trump after their falling out, told the Washington Post that despite her long absence, Mrs. Trump will continue to support her husband.< /p>
“She always said she was going to do this.” do. do what she wanted,” she said.
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