Melania Trump: The First Lady Defining Her Own Path | US News

As her husband prepares for his second inauguration, Melania Trump felt the need to clarify her own position.

“People might view me as simply the president’s wife,” she remarked in a Fox News interview. “But I stand independently, on my own two feet. I have my own ideas.”

In the lead-up to the election, Mrs. Trump published her memoir. Later this year, she will be the subject of an Amazon documentary series that she claims will allow viewers to witness her journey back into the White House.

Like her husband, Donald Trump, Mrs. Trump tends to operate outside traditional norms. When he was first elected in 2016, she approached her role uniquely compared to her predecessors and spent considerable time away from the White House.

“She has been the least visible first lady in many years — arguably since Bess Truman in the 1940s and early 1950s,” said Katherine Jellison, a history professor from Ohio University and an expert on the role of first ladies.

For over a century, most first ladies played supportive roles, serving mainly as official hostesses. Even those who engaged in public service typically did so behind the scenes. Eleanor Roosevelt, who supported her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt starting in 1933, marked a significant change towards a more public role.

“During her 12 years as first lady, such visibility became the norm,” explains Professor Jellison. While Mrs. Truman did not follow this trend, “since Jacqueline Kennedy in the early ’60s, every first lady has undertaken at least one major public service initiative.”

The expectations of the role have evolved, largely influenced by the women who have occupied it; however, the American Constitution does not specify the duties of first ladies. They are free to choose the extent of their involvement in presidential responsibilities as they see fit.

Having previous experience, Mrs. Trump is well aware of what to anticipate. “She felt the media was unfair to her during the first term,” Professor Jellison notes. “She believed critics jumped on every little mistake, so she may now wish to avoid becoming a target for her husband’s opponents as well as the press.”

However, some experts believe this time may feel different.

“We’ve noticed more of her presence already — more interviews, more confidence,” states Anita McBride, former chief of staff to Laura Bush and current director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University. “Many household staff remain the same; her familiarity with the environment alleviates some of the pressures of that initial transition.”

‘The last time, it was a pretty hostile environment’

Mrs. Trump has indicated she will not be confined by traditional expectations of her role. “She intends to define her own agenda, which sets a new precedent,” says Ms. McBride.

This time, public sentiment may also shift. In 2016, there was a mix of fascination and criticism regarding the entry of a model, particularly one who had posed nude earlier in her career, into the White House.

If that perception was not outdated then, it certainly seems so now. Moreover, Mr. Trump enters this presidency having improved his vote share in 90% of U.S. counties compared to the 2020 election, and he is only the second Republican since 1988 to secure the popular vote.

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“The last time she was here, the atmosphere was rather hostile. It was challenging… even her Christmas decorations faced criticism,” Ms. McBride points out. “This situation is markedly different now.”

By choosing to approach things in her own unique way, Mrs. Trump may have “sought to create a new standard, potentially easing the path for those who follow her,” she adds.

“Were Americans prepared for that? Not particularly, as expectations of a first lady traditionally dictate constant presence alongside the president. However, we have witnessed how others in this role have adapted it to better suit their personal style.”

Indeed, Jill Biden, who succeeded Mrs. Trump, also deviated from tradition by being the first first lady to maintain a professional career while serving.

Born Melanija Knavs in Slovenia when it was part of Yugoslavia, Mrs. Trump began her modeling career at 16 and met Donald Trump at a Fashion Week party in 1998, when she was 28 and he had recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples.

They wed in 2005, and their son, Barron, was born in 2006. At 18 and currently a freshman at New York University, he will have a room available during visits to the White House.

Throughout Mr. Trump’s first term, Mrs. Trump primarily resided in New York with Barron, prioritizing her privacy and largely avoiding the limelight.

However, when she did appear, she sometimes revealed glimpses of her personality. Notably, in June 2018, she caused a stir by wearing a jacket that read “I really don’t care, do u?” during a visit to see migrant children separated from their families.

Her spokesperson stated there was no hidden meaning, emphasizing Mrs. Trump’s hope that media attention would focus on more pressing matters during that visit. Nonetheless, Mrs. Trump later expressed that the jacket signified her disregard for criticism and her commitment to doing “what I feel is right.”

In her charitable endeavors, she initiated the Be Best campaign, which focused on childhood well-being and responsible social media usage. Yet, this initiative faced criticism, particularly regarding how it contrasted with her husband’s social media habits and comments that sometimes undermined its anti-bullying message.

She delivered her farewell speech as her role concluded in January 2021, shortly after the Capitol riots, where crowds attempted to block Joe Biden’s election certification after her husband claimed the vote was rigged. “Violence is never the answer,” she advised the American people leading up to Mr. Biden’s inauguration.

Throughout the presidency, Mrs. Trump chose mainly to remain in the background while her husband campaigned for re-election. Although she participated in his campaign launch for the 2024 election and the Republican National Convention’s conclusion, she generally steered clear of the campaign trail.

She did, however, issue a statement following the high-profile assassination attempt on her husband in July, calling the attacker a “monster” and urging Americans to rise above hate and the vitriol that can incite violence.

In a later interview, she blamed Democrats and the mainstream media for fostering a “toxic atmosphere” that emboldened those wishing to do harm to her husband.

Her memoir was published a month later, followed by plans for the upcoming documentary. She has also expressed intentions to revitalize the Be Best initiative, despite past criticisms.

Interestingly, in her memoir released just prior to her husband’s election victory, Mrs. Trump revealed her support for abortion rights — a stark contrast to her husband’s views on the subject.

“The Trumps don’t adhere to traditional norms, and I believe both the memoir and the documentary are Mrs. Trump’s efforts to steer her own narrative and story,” says Professor Jellison.

“This is her chance to share her story on her terms,” Ms. McBride concurs. “Those in the public eye often find it difficult to escape being defined by others, by the media, or by critics — even their supporters.”

The upcoming documentary will document Mrs. Trump’s “day-to-day life… what responsibilities I manage,” covering her move into the White House and how she shapes her own term. This marks a first for a first lady.

This time around, Melania Trump is determined to tell her story — on her own terms.