Melania Trump broke a long-standing tradition by not attending the 2024 presidential debate on Thursday evening. The former first lady was notably absent when Trump deboarded his plane in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of his first debate against President Joe Biden since 2020.
Melania was also missing after the debate ended. While Trump exited solo, President Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, made her way to the stage to greet her husband and escort him to the moderators’ table.
Melania has been largely absent from Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, missing key events such as the kickoff of the 2024 election in Iowa and her husband’s Super Tuesday victory party. Additionally, she did not attend any day of Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, with sentencing set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to be named the official GOP presidential nominee.
The former first lady was last seen at Barron Trump’s high school graduation in May and attended a campaign event in April with the Log Cabin Republicans, a group representing LGBT conservatives and allies. When asked by reporters in March if she’d return to the campaign trail, she replied, “Stay tuned.” Several experts predict she may not move back into the White House if her husband wins in November.
“She’s distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social-political scene,” said Kate Andersen Brower, an expert on the White House and first ladies. Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University who studies first ladies, told the Associated Press that Melania and her husband have often broken with tradition. “But everything the Trumps do seems to be against the standard playbook of how candidates and spouses behave,” Jellison added.
Thursday’s debate itself was also a break from tradition, marking the first televised debate between a former and sitting president. CNN, the network hosting the debate, eliminated a live audience and muted candidates’ microphones when it was not their turn to speak.
Biden spent much of the last week at Camp David with his close advisers preparing for the debate. Meanwhile, Trump prioritized policy discussions with allies over formal debate preparation, The Independent previously reported.
As the campaign season continues, Melania’s absence and the unconventional strategies of the Trump campaign remain points of significant interest and speculation.