I cannot decide whether I despise Melania Trump for you know, colluding in her wannabe dictator husband’s rise to the presidency, or just absolutely adore her because she very clearly did not want any part of that sideshow, continues to visibly despise the man she’s married to,  and honestly, she kind of seems like someone I’d like to grab coffee with, if only for the stories.

But Melania’s disinterest in participating in her husband’s life, it’s reached new heights, because even disgraced Scientologist Danny Masterton’s wife, Bridget Phillips, is like there at his trial. Whether or not your husband is going to jail seems like something that as a spouse, you’d be nominally curious about. I mean, I would go to the trial and I don’t even share offspring with the man. 

So what is up with Melania these days? Well, while Donald’s been in Florida and Bedminster,  she’s been seen out and about in Manhattan both with and without her son, Barron.

She did not notably post birthday wishes to Donald on his 77th birthday in contrast to other family members. She was also not in Bedminster the night beforehand to watch her husband defend himself against the — count them — 37 federal charges recently brought against him in response to his alleged handling of classified documents. Trump’s spokesperson Stephen Chung, when asked at Bedminster about Melania’s whereabouts, admitted he didn’t know. She hasn’t appeared at one of Trump’s campaign events in months. She hasn’t even said that she supports his bid for a second term.

This is sorry, unprecedented. Certainly First Ladies have had various degrees of involvement with their partner’s political aspirations but silence on the Melania-level is like nothing we have ever seen. Take the other front runners as contrast. Casey DeSantis has been by her husband Ronnie’s side throughout his early campaign. Jill Biden is out there raising millions for Joe’s re-election, Karen Pence showed up for pizza at Mike’s announcement that he was running. If  Trump wins a second term, I like kind of doubt that Melania will even be there.

EDIT

What’s interesting to me about Melania is that she seems to be a smart cookie, romantic choices notwithstanding, and she clearly knows that by saying nothing she gives everyone the plotline they want from her without having to confirm or deny a single point. Liberals can argue that she’s shunning Trump, Republicans can say she’s the strong silent type. Everyone can agree that the trench she wore to the dentist last week was fantastic. And I daresay I think that’s how she wants it.