The thriller of lacking Melania throughout Donald’s marketing campaign

As a Joe Biden stood onstage after a concerning performance during the 90-minute Presidential Debate against Donald Trump, his wife, First Lady Dr Jill Biden, was the first person to come to his rescue.

As she took to the stage to praise her 81-year-old husband for ‘answering every question’ and ‘knowing all the facts’, it didn’t appear to convince voters that the incumbent candidate is up to the job – but it was more familial support than Donald Trump enjoyed.

The former US President, 78 walked off the stage alone after his ever-so-slightly better debate performance as his wife, Melania, 54, was once again absent.

It marked another chapter in Trump’s lonely election campaign in which he frequently appears solo; a stark contrast to his 2016 bid to win the keys to the White House which was a family affair; with Melania, daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr and Eric taking centre stage.

However the early stages of this year’s presidential campaign are taking place in the wake of a criminal trial in which Trump was convicted over making hush money payments from campaign money to porn star Stormy Daniels over a previous affair when Melania was pregnant with their son, Barron – something Trump denies.

As both candidates prepared to take to the stage in Atlanta, GA, last night, there were whispers over whether or not Melania would be waiting in the wings to watch her husband. 

The former president walked off Trump Force One solo when he arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon. 

In contrast, the White House has announced Jill Biden will attend the debate and a rally with President Biden on Friday in Atlanta.

‘Families started attending the debates regularly in 1976 and it would be pretty shocking for the wife of a candidate to break that tradition,’ presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky said.

Melania’s absence comes amid reports she may not live in Washington D.C full-time if her husband wins the 2024 Presidential Election in November.

Those close to the former first lady believe she will likely split her time between Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York City – especially with Barron, 18, tipped to attend New York University. 

Melania would instead only travel to Washington, D.C. for ceremonial responsibilities like state dinners and other special events. 

The decision not to live with in Washington is an unprecedented move for a first lady and a break in two-and-a-half centuries of tradition.

‘She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social political scene,’ Kate Andersen Brower, who’s written several books on first ladies, told Axios.

‘I mean, she clearly hated being in Washington.’

And if Trump does win in November, insiders say she will continue keeping her distance from the East Wing and D.C.

‘Melania does what Melania wants.’ Washington Post associate editor Mary Jordan, who has written a book about Melania saying, making her ‘stand out from other first ladies’.

However, her recent absence comes in the wake of her husband’s hush money trial in New York, which saw him convicted of 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws.

The trial focused on payments made from campaign funds in the 2016 Presidential Election to porn star Stormy Daniels; with whom he had an affair when Melania was pregnant with Barron. 

In a blistering testimony, Daniels took to the stand to eviscerate Trump as she gave an excruciatingly detailed account of her night with the then-businessman.

She detailed how she had sex with Trump in the ‘missionary position’ while still wearing her bra, accused him of not using protection and painted a picture of how Trump was laid spread-eagled on the bed waiting for her while wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts.

Daniels also claimed she ‘spanked’ the President with a rolled-up magazine. 

The incident allegedly occurred 18 years ago, a year into President Trump’s marriage to Melania – and shortly after she fell pregnant with their son Barron.

Although it’s likely Melania knew many of the details ahead of the trial, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen delivered a line that may have hit hard – that the president ‘wasn’t thinking’ about Melania in choosing to hush up the Daniels liaison because: ‘This was all about the campaign.’ 

Cohen further testified that when he had asked Trump if news of the affair might lead to Melania divorcing him, Trump casually replied: ‘Don’t worry … How long do you think I’ll be on the market for?’ 

In April, a source told the New York Times that Melania had accepted Trump’s argument that the case against him was a ‘disgrace’: a cynical attempt to damage his election prospects. 

Yet if The Donald had consequently hoped for a public statement of support from his wife, none came. Indeed, according to insiders, Melania has privately referred to the Daniels case as ‘his problem’.

Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former press secretary and chief of staff, said that she knew Melania’s absence from his trial ‘absolutely bothers him’, adding: ‘If Mrs Trump wasn’t at some event [when Trump was President] and it was really noted, he would definitely bring it up with her.’ 

As the salacious details spilled out of the trial and made headlines around the world, Melania stayed away and was not seen in public at all until a few days after proceedings had concluded.

Even Trump’s children, who have also taken a backseat during this campaign, supported the Republican nominee in his trial, with Eric, Donald Jr and Tiffany turning up to the courtroom, while his golden child Ivanka posted on Instagram: ‘I love you Dad.’ 

After the trial concluded, pundits suggested that Melania’s presence in court would have hugely helped his campaign hopes.

Despite Trump’s 34 convictions, he is continuing to rally support at events around the country – but notably, Melania has not been by his side at a single campaign event so far this year.

‘Stay tuned,’ Melania said last month when asked if Americans could expect to see more of her on the campaign trail soon. 

While she has not made any public appearances alongside her husband during campaigning, she is said to be attending some private fundraising events.

The last time the couple were seen in public together was on May 17th, at their son’s high school graduation.