Melania Trump made headlines this week when sources suggested she might not continue living with her husband if he were re-elected. This would mark a break with a two-and-a-half-century tradition for women in the White House.
But for anyone familiar with the fiercely independent model turned first lady, the news will come as no surprise.
Melania has been distancing herself from politics in the field for years. She previously admitted that she has her ‘own opinion’, something she says Trump ‘likes’ about her.
She was noticeably absent from his confirmation hearings in May, and even long before that — during her husband’s first term — she shunned the typical responsibilities of a first lady.
But is this separation of their personal and political lives the secret of their 19-year marriage? Here, DailyMail.com looks back on their unconventional and deeply independent partnership.
Melania has built a reputation for being more than just Donald Trump’s rich wife — she’s also made it clear that she’s her own person, aside from her headline-grabbing husband
Shortly after Trump was sworn in in 2016, Melania gave an interview in which she expressed her desire to stay out of the spotlight.
“I choose not to go into public politics because that is my husband’s job,” she said Harper’s Bazaar.
‘In my private life I am very political, and between me and my husband I know everything that is going on. I have my own mind. “I’m my own person and I think my husband likes that about me.”
Instead, she has repeatedly emphasized that her biggest priority is son Barron, whom she gave birth to in 2006 at the age of 35.
Although she could have had as many babysitters as she wanted, the Slovenian-born mother chose to raise him without outside help.
‘I like to be hands-on. I think it’s very important. He needs someone to parent, so I’m with him all the time. As you know, my husband is traveling all the time,” she shared People magazine in 2015, when Barron was nine.
Melania raised eyebrows when she failed to attend Trump’s 78th birthday party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on June 14. They are pictured together in November 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida
Although the public has speculated about tensions between the Trumps, with Melania noticeably absent from his court hearings, that distance was key to their marriage. They are pictured at the 2016 Republican National Convention
Before her life collided with the political arena, Melania had a career as a model, which she began after being discovered by photographer Stane Jerk in 1987 at the age of 16.
She achieved success in Paris and Milan before moving to New York City at the age of 26. Later, she got an ad on a billboard for Camel cigarettes in Times Square.
At the time, she kept her body in shape by walking around her house with ankle weights and eating seven pieces of fruit a day. She still swears by this last tip..
Her favorites are peaches and apples.
She also loves a breakfast smoothie with spinach, carrots and blueberries with apple juice and low-fat yogurt.
She met Trump in 1998 and the couple married in 2005.
Now she is an independent entrepreneur thanks to her skin care line and jewelry collections. She even guest-hosted “The View” several times.
In an interview with Parenting Magazine, Melania explained how she and her husband maintained their independence.
“My life is very normal — for me. Maybe some people wouldn’t think so. But for me it is. I know my husband. We have a great relationship. We are both very independent. We know what our roles are and we are happy with them,” she said.
‘I don’t think you need to be with your husband every minute of the day.
An Inside Edition episode titled “Melania Trump’s Diet” in 2019
Before meeting her husband, Melania was a model and was discovered by photographer Stane Jerk in 1987 at the age of 16. She was featured on the cover of Vogue after her marriage to Trump.
Reports indicate she plans to stay away from DC and closer to son Barron, 18, (right) amid talk he might attend New York University
“Both people need to do what they’re passionate about and then come together in the morning and the evening and share life and experience it and have a great time. You know the saying, ‘Work hard and play harder?’ That’s what we do.”
Still, Melania raised eyebrows on June 14 when she failed to attend Trump’s 78th birthday party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
It may be partly due to the former president’s hatred of the celebration.
His ex-wife Ivanka once claimed: ‘Donald hates his birthday.’
And the politician himself reprimanded supporters in Las Vegas who tried to sing him Happy Birthday this year.
He said to them, “You know. There’s a certain point where you don’t want to hear “Happy Birthday” anymore. You just want to pretend the day doesn’t exist.’
But Melania didn’t even share a birthday wish for her husband on social media, leading to dozens of headlines.
Analysts now speculate that she will not sit next to Trump in the White House if he wins another term in November.
She’ll likely split her time between Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York City — especially since Barron, 18, is expected to attend New York University.
Melania Trump made headlines when rumors swirled that she might no longer live with her husband if he is re-elected. This upended a two-and-a-half-century precedent for women in the White House. The couple is pictured in 2007 with their then son Barron
Melania will reportedly only travel to Washington DC for ceremonial engagements, such as state dinners and other special events.
The decision not to live in Washington is an unprecedented move for a first lady. But it is not unexpected, given that she spent much of her husband’s first term living on the outskirts of the city with her parents.
“She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the socio-political scene in Washington,” said Kate Andersen Brower, who has written several books about first ladies. Axios.
“I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.”
Next month, the former first lady will host the conservative LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans for a fundraiser at Trump Tower in New York.
When asked last month whether Americans could expect to see more of her on the campaign trail anytime soon, Melania simply replied, “Stay tuned.”