Melania Trump absent from public view for a month, longest stretch this term
First lady Melania Trump has not appeared publicly for exactly one month, marking one of the lengthiest gaps in her husband’s second term.
Melania Trump, aged 56, has not been observed in public since July 19, when she attended the FIFA World Cup Final with President Donald Trump in New Jersey. Over the past month she skipped the dignified transfer of U.S. soldiers killed by Iran on July 22, the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24, and Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral on July 28, as well as the president’s weekend golf outings at Bedminster Golf Club.
A Daily Beast analysis shows she has appeared publicly on just 38 days this year, roughly once every six days, and only five times during June and July combined. Her absence contrasts with the more frequent public engagements of first ladies Jill Biden and Michelle Obama during comparable periods. The White House did not respond to inquiries about the first lady’s whereabouts.
Why it matters
The first lady’s extended absence highlights a shift in the visibility of the Trump administration’s public figures.
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