Melania Trump is standing by Donald‘s side! Except, you know, not literally!
There have been a lot of conflicting reports about the couple’s relationship over the past few years. From the outside it seems like an icy, mercenary union well past its expiration date. We get the sense he’d like to move on with a younger model for a third time, and she’d like to take her cut and never have to be in the same room again. But the political party Trump decided to take over is at least nominally obsessed with family values. So they can’t exactly get divorced while he still has political aspirations. Or should we say, while he’s still clawing for power to keep himself out of prison?
Plenty of sources have bolstered that hypothesis, with insiders saying the one thing that crossed the line for Melania was finding out her husband had cheated on her with a porn star. Raw dog, no less. That really pissed her off, they say. And the fact that scandal was the one that got Trump his first criminal conviction? It’s just adding more and more very public insult to injury for her.
On the other hand, some sources have come out saying Melania occasionally getting up on stage and doing her FLOTUS thing isn’t an act. They claim she approves of his politics and his treatment of people, the whole thing — that she sees the criminal conviction as a “political assassination” and is cheering him on from the sidelines like Taylor and Travis.
Related: Trump Spiritual Advisor Groomed & Molested A 12-Year-Old Girl
We have a hard time buying that one. We mean, do we think she knew who she married? That she’s complicit for not speaking out against most his bad behavior and defending some of the worst? Sure. But she certainly doesn’t come across as enthusiastic these days.
Along that line of thought comes from Axios, who spoke to author Kate Andersen Brower on the subject. Kate is an expert on First Ladies, having written multiple books on the subject. Her verdict on Melania?
“She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social political scene.”
After studying Melania’s four years during Trump’s term and four years after, she noted:
“I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.”
We mean, that much was clear. For many months Melania stayed at Trump Tower, and when she did finally go to the White House, everyone got the sense she was miserable there. Hell, just look at how her inner feelings came out in her Christmas decorations!
So Kate and other analysts agree — if Trump wins another term in office, this time Melania is NOT going to move into the White House. Instead, they believe, she’ll split her time between Mar-A-Lago, where she’s been most of the time since leaving DC, and New York City — since Barron is going to college at NYU.
The decision will make history if true. She would be the first First Lady in two and a half centuries to say NAH I’M GOOD and keep her ass at home. Obviously it would just be the latest in a long line of norms eschewed by Trump. You know, norms like… proving you don’t have anything to hide by showing your tax returns, the peaceful transition of power, the respect of top secret national security documents…
We did hear Melania renegotiated her prenup with Donnie before this campaign kicked into gear, making him pay for her support, tacit though it may remain. We mean, it’s not speaking out against him! We bet she’d have stuff to say!
But according to the Axios experts Melania will play her FLOTUS role similarly. Author Mary Jordan, who wrote a book on Melania, said she’ll get whatever she wants this time around — whatever that ends up being:
“Now having seen how this works, she would just be wiser and she would be more vocal and more demanding about what the first lady’s office should get.”
More effort than her Be Best campaign? Is it possible?
We just have to say, the optics of that really would be horrible. It makes it seem like a couple married only on paper, right? Like who wants to root for that? But at this point isn’t it impossible to tarnish Trump’s reputation? It would be like spilling a drip of coffee on a muddy raincoat.
What do YOU think, Perezcious readers? How does Melania really feel about Donald? And will anyone ever actually care about it??
[Image via Euan Cherry/WENN.]
