The unusual absence of the First Lady of the United States

Melania Trump has been the First Lady of the United States for nearly two weeks but has been completely silent instead of carrying out her duties.

US First Lady Melania Trump. Photo: AFP

On January 20, Mrs. Melania attended all the events of her husband, Mr. Donald Trump, as US President. However, two days later, she immediately returned to New York to take care of her 10-year-old son, Barron, who is attending a private school there, according to the Washington Post.

The First Lady of the United States revealed that she is building a team. However, since the morning of January 21, she has not been seen in public. Melania has not conducted any interviews with the media nor given any indication of her plans as the new First Lady.

“Everyone expected Melania to come out and connect with the public, but she didn’t,” said political scientist Lauren Wright. “It’s interesting to see her seem unwilling to build a public image.”

By any standard, observers say, First Lady Melania Trump is starting slowly. Last week, she reportedly hired New York event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff as a senior adviser. But her staff is still lacking in positions such as chief of staff, communications director, and press secretary.

Before Mrs. Melania's unusual "silence", speculations began to appear in the public.

Melania Trump entered the White House with a record low approval rating. According to a Gallup poll released on January 16, only 37% of respondents said they liked the new First Lady. Former First Ladies such as Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton all had approval ratings higher than 55%.

Americans are used to seeing the first family together, so Melania’s decision to temporarily live in New York and delay her move to the White House could fuel negative perceptions of her, said Myra Gutin, a professor of media studies at Rider University.

"Ivanka and her family are there, but the presence of Mrs. Trump and her youngest son will bring a completely different feeling," Gutin commented.

On the other hand, analysts say Melania Trump's quiet first week could be a sign that she is reluctant to find a way to deal with the increasing attention being focused on her, or it is also possible that the US First Lady simply wants to spend time calculating an action strategy to create the maximum positive effect.

Donald Trump's biographer Michael D' Antonio said Melania "seemed to want to protect privacy" during her meetings with him.

Trump "always encouraged Melania to say nice things about her husband, and she did. But she left the room as quickly as possible," D'Antonio recalled. "I hope she's gracious in her role as first lady, but I'm not surprised that she wants to limit her involvement in that role."

According to VNE