Ahead of her husband’s second inauguration, Melania Trump wanted to make a few things clear.
“Perhaps people only see me as the president’s wife,” she stated in an interview with Fox News. “But I have my own independent thoughts and I stand on my own two feet.”
Prior to the election, Mrs. Trump published her memoir. Later this year, she will be featured in an Amazon documentary series that will document her journey back to the White House.
Similar to her husband, Donald Trump, Mrs. Trump does not adhere to traditional norms. When he was first elected in 2016, she defined her role quite differently from her recent predecessors, spending a significant amount of time away from the White House.
Pic: AP/Stuart Ramson 2004
“She was the most low-profile first lady we’ve had in a long time – going back to Bess Truman in the 1940s and early 1950s,” noted Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University and an expert on the role of first ladies.
For over a century, most first ladies were quietly supportive, serving as official hostesses. Those who engaged in public service projects did so mostly behind the scenes. However, Eleanor Roosevelt’s active involvement in supporting her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 marked a significant shift towards a more prominent role.
“During her tenure as first lady, which spanned 12 years, that became an expectation,” Professor Jellison explained. While Mrs. Truman did not copy her predecessor, other first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy onwards have each had at least one major high-profile public service initiative.
Although the role has been shaped by the women who have filled it over the years, it remains undefined in the American constitution. First ladies can choose to spend as much or as little time at the White House, supporting the president’s duties, as they desire.
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Melania: ‘Thank you so much for all your support’
With previous experience, Mrs. Trump is well aware of what to anticipate. “During her first term, she felt unfairly treated by the media,” Professor Jellison remarked. “She sensed that every little mistake was being scrutinized. Therefore, this time around, she likely aims to minimize her visibility to avoid becoming a target for her husband’s critics and the press.”
Nevertheless, other experts suggest that this time things may be somewhat different.
“We have already seen more of her, more interviews, more confidence,” noted Anita McBride, former chief of staff to Laura Bush, who currently leads the First Ladies Initiative at American University in Washington DC and has authored several books on the subject.
“Many household staff members are still around, she is familiar with the surroundings. There isn’t that overwhelming sense of having to navigate it all for the first time.”
Donald Trump at an election night rally with Melania and their son Barron in 2016. Pic: Reuters/ Carlo Allegri
‘The last time, it was a pretty hostile environment’
She has emphasized that she will not conform to societal expectations of her role. “She will determine her own path, setting the tone,” Ms. McBride remarked.
And this time around, public perception may be different. In 2016, there was a mix of fascination and criticism surrounding a model, particularly one who had posed nude in her career, entering the White House.
If that viewpoint was not outdated then, it certainly seems to be now. Additionally, this time Mr. Trump enters the presidency after having increased his vote share in 90% of US counties compared to the 2020 election. He is also only the second Republican since 1988 to win the popular vote.
Read more:
Meet The Trumps: Will the White House become a family business?
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