Camilla Jessen
Melania Trump keeps distance as husband dominates headlines.
As President Donald Trump continues to dominate the news cycle with foreign policy disputes and domestic controversies, attention has turned to a quieter development.
The First Lady has not appeared publicly for several weeks. Commentators and analysts say the absence may be deliberate.
Focus on Greenland
Much of the recent attention surrounding the Trump administration has centered on the president’s insistence that U.S. control of Greenland is vital to national security.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Denmark, Greenlandic leaders, and European allies, with concerns raised about its implications for NATO.
As debate intensified, observers noted that Melania Trump was not present during any of the high-profile moments connected to the controversy.
Not seen publicly
The last confirmed public appearance of Donald and Melania Trump together was during New Year’s celebrations at Mar-a-Lago. Since then, she has not appeared alongside the president at official events.
Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet was among the first to highlight her absence.
While Melania Trump posted a message on X on January 20 thanking supporters for her first year as First Lady, she has otherwise remained out of public view, according to the report.
Limited visibility
Commentators say her absence makes it difficult to assess her influence or priorities as First Lady.
“She is conspicuous by her absence. It is fundamentally difficult to form an opinion about Melania Trump and her as the first lady of the United States, because she is simply not visible,” wrote Sigrid Rege Gårdsvoll, a commentator for Vårt Land and AmerikanskPolitikk.no.
Gårdsvoll noted that Melania Trump has consistently maintained a low public profile, both during election campaigns and while in the White House.
A deliberate decision
Eirik Løkke, an adviser at the think tank Civita and an expert on U.S. politics, told Dagbladet that Melania Trump’s absence should not be seen as unexpected.
“She does not want to take on a public role, but prefers to stay in the background,” Løkke said, pointing out that this was evident throughout the 2024 election campaign when compared with previous first ladies.
He added that her limited visibility appears to be a conscious choice. “Everything pales in comparison to Donald Trump and how he is as president. I don’t think he is interested in anyone else getting attention. And now there has been even more attention than before.”
Sources: Dagbladet, Vårt Land, AmerikanskPolitikk.no
