Melania Trump ‘lacking’ as Donald’ faces off towards Biden in main debate

Melania Trump’s absence on the campaign trail has sparked a wave of speculation as her husband Donald Trump prepares for a head-to-head with Joe Biden in a presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia.

Despite being a key figure in previous campaigns, the former First Lady has been conspicuously missing from major events this year, including Trump’s announcement of his 2024 run in Iowa and celebrations on Super Tuesday. Her cryptic response to queries about hitting the campaign trail was simply, “Stay tuned.”

Since that vague statement back in March when she voted in Florida’s primary, Melania has remained out of the spotlight, only making appearances at a few fundraisers in April and their son Barron’s high school graduation. She also avoided the month-long hush money trial involving Donald Trump in New York, was absent for the verdict and subsequent comments at Trump Tower, skipped Trump’s 78th birthday, and hasn’t graced any recent rallies.

Donald Trump arrived solo at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at approximately 5:30pm, just hours after his rival Biden had landed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb County, reports the Mirror US. Joe Biden, who touched down shortly after 3:00pm, was later accompanied by his partner and the current First Lady, Jill Biden, who made her way to Atlanta roughly 90 minutes later.

The arrival of both presidential hopefuls in the city marks a much-anticipated prelude to their encounter on the debate stage – their first since the 2020 showdown. The much-anticipated debate, moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, is set to get underway at 9:00pm ET.

With the political temperature soaring, both Biden and Trump are gearing up for a crucial showdown, each eager to tip the scales of the campaign in their favour before an audience tired of political squabbling. Trump is ready to tout his bold agenda to revamp key US policies on issues like immigration and abortion rights if he wins another stint at the helm.

On the flip side, Biden is poised to convince millions that he’s got what it takes to stay in the Oval Office and to argue that Trump represents a real danger to American democracy. Ahead of his trip to Atlanta, Trump took to Truth Social to give a sneak peek into his debate prep, hinting at climate change as one of the hot topics.

Donald Trump has been firing off incendiary social media posts as part of his debate warm-up, taking aim at Joe Biden with practised jibes. “Joe Biden is a threat to democracy, and a threat to the survival and existence of our country itself! ! ! ” Trump blasted in a fiery tweet before jetting off to Atlanta.

In his unyielding effort to portray Biden as America’s true peril, Trump is doubling down on this narrative, framing every action by his rival as proof of the alleged danger. Post-acquittal in the sensational New York hush-money trial, Trump has depicted the lawsuit as evidence that Biden is manipulating the justice system for his own political advantage.

“He’s been weaponising government against his political opponents like a Third World political tyrant,” Trump declared during a rally in Cedar Rapids last December. “Biden and his radical left allies like to pose as standing up as allies of democracy,” he further stated, tapping into the fears of authoritarianism among his followers.

Trump laid into Biden again on social media, with a searing critique: “a NIGHTMARE FOR WOMEN when it comes to the Border and Immigration! “. The former President’s biting comments are an indication of his targeting strategy on immigration and abortion – hot issues that strongly resonate with voters nationwide.

Reacting to Biden’s recent directive which could grant citizenship opportunities to countless immigrants in the US without legal status, Trump is aiming for a counterbalance with his hefty clampdown at the southern border, which has drawn fierce criticism from human rights advocates and members of the Democratic Party.

In contrast, Biden is set to focus on his fresh executive order, marking the most significant federal move to protect immigrants in more than ten years – an attempt to draw a clear distinction from Trump’s stringent immigration policies, which include widespread deportations and describing immigrants as major criminals “poisoning the blood” of the United States.

Biden is also anticipated to confront Trump on his abortion stance, considering his appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices who contributed to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, resulting in a surge of abortion restrictions across the nation. Trump has consistently taken pride in his role in overturning Roe, and Biden will be eager to highlight Trump’s involvement.