Former First Lady Trump Caring for ‘Very Ill’ Mother

Former first lady Melania Trump has not been participating in her family’s holiday festivities because she is taking care of her sick mother, former President Donald Trump stated.

During a New Year’s Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, Trump stated that his wife was in a Miami hospital looking after her mother Amalija Knavs, 78, who Trump said was “very ill.”

“Hopefully, she will be recovering because she was very ill,” Trump said during a speech at the event, a video of which was posted on X. “I just want to say hello to the first lady, we just spoke, down in Miami at a great hospital. And hopefully it will be OK.

“But it’s a tough one. She sends her love to everybody. She knows about 95% of the people in the room, and we want to wish Amalija gets better as quickly as possible.”

Questions about Melania Trump’s whereabouts first arose when she didn’t appear in family Christmas photos posted on social media.

But Newsweek reported Monday that a source close to Melania Trump told Fox News: “Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family. It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother.”

Melania Trump, 53, recently was seen at the funeral for former first lady Rosalynn Carter on Nov. 29 and on Dec. 15, when she spoke at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives.

Page Six reported last week that Melania Trump will increase her public appearances to support her husband’s bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

“Trump and his family are so secure that he will become president again that insiders at Mar-a-Lago say he’s reached an agreement with Melania to step up top-tier diplomatic appearances in 2024,” a source told Page Six. “Melania realizes it’s her time to join the ranks of historic first ladies and leave her mark on history. … She feels better prepared for her potential role the second time around.”