Melania Trump will not attend a meeting at the White House with first lady Jill Biden, once again bucking political norms in a move that may signal her approach to the role of first lady the second time around.
Trump’s office announced on Wednesday morning that she would not be at the White House, confirming speculation that she had turned down the first lady’s invitation.
“Mrs. Trump will not be attending today’s meeting at the White House,” her office said in a statement on X. “Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success.”
Trump’s team did not give a reason for her absence. It criticized some reporting on her decision to skip the meeting; however, the team did not clarify which reports were inaccurate.
“In this instance, several unnamed sources in the media continue to provide false, misleading, and inaccurate information,” her office said. “Be discerning with your source of news.”
The meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidential spouses was set to take place in conjunction with President Joe Biden hosting President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. It is meant to signify a peaceful transfer of power — a gesture that the Trumps did not afford the Bidens in 2020. During her husband’s first term in office, Melania Trump seemingly chafed against the intense scrutiny as first lady and adopted her husband’s aggressive stance with the media. She largely receded from the spotlight after vacating the White House in 2021, and she made few public appearances during her husband’s presidential campaign. Now, on the cusp of stepping into the high-profile role of first lady again, Melania Trump is likely to carve out an even more nontraditional path for herself in the role.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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