Trump
Alex Daniel
Dec 27, 2023
C-Span
Melania Trump's whereabouts are a total "mystery", according to her neighbours in Palm Beach, near where the former first lady lives.
While she was a mainstay by the side of husband Donald Trump during his presidency, Melania is now rarely seen outside the couple's Mar-a-Lago resort, reports the Telegraph.
Laurence Leamer, a Palm Beach resident, said: “Nobody knows where she is. It’s like a mystery. It’s certainly talked about.”
Donald Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985, and used the private members club as his base for much of his time as president between 2016 and 2020.
Since then, he has listed the estate as his primary residence, with Melania thought to be living there too.
Residents used to see her regularly around the resort, particularly in the local beauty parlour.
Leamer, who also wrote a book on Mar-a-Lago, said: "She rarely exits Mar-a-Lago. It’s a strange, isolated life they have in that place."
He said members have reported seeing her far less often at the club, despite the fact they live "right off the main hall".
Melania's lack of public appearances have also become the focus of scrutiny from Donald Trump's rivals, as he seeks re-election in 2024.
In the swing state of Iowa earlier this year, fliers were distributed which said Mrs Trump was "missing", asking "have you seen this woman?"
\xf0\x9f\x9a\xa8 Ron DeSantis has doxxed Melania Trump with a \xe2\x80\x9cmissing\xe2\x80\x9d poster with the phone number to Mar-A-Lago. \n\nThis is not desperate, this is not psychotic, I don\xe2\x80\x99t know what you call this.— (@)
While her husband has occasionally made reference to her during his rallies, it is unclear whether she would play as big a role in the Trump campaign this time around.
At an event in Iowa, he said she has told him not to dance onstage at his rallies.
He said: "You know, our first lady hates it when I do. She says: ‘Darling, I love you so much, but this is not presidential when you do the weightlifting, this is not presidential, or when you do the swimming thing … or when you dance off the stage’.
"Technically, she’s probably right. But what the hell."
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