Former First Lady Melania Trump's attendance at Tuesday's debate between her husband and Vice President Kamala Harris remains a question, after she skipped the first presidential debate and has made only a handful of public appearances on the campaign trail; here's a timeline of when she's appeared by his side.
Former first lady Melania Trump on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
Melania Trump arrived at the Republican National Convention before former President Donald Trump’s nomination acceptance speech, sat with other members of her husband’s family for part of the event and did not speak at the convention—bucking a historic trend.
The former first lady and her husband attend their son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida, after Judge Juan Merchan gave Donald Trump a day off from proceedings in his criminal hush money trial by cancelling a court session scheduled that same day (Trump was later found guilty).
Melania Trump appears alongside her husband at a fundraiser for his reelection campaign that raised $50.5 million, according to the Trump campaign, but makes no public comments.
While Melania Trump and Donald Trump were exiting a polling place in Palm Beach, Florida, she told reporters to “stay tuned” for her return to the campaign trail.
Melania Trump delivers remarks during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington D.C., speaking to 25 immigrants who were sworn in as U.S. citizens, some 17 years after the former first lady received her citizenship.
Melania Trump appears along with all former living first ladies at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral.
One week after Donald Trump is indicted and charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over a string of alleged hush money deals, Melania’s official office issues a cryptic statement that news organizations made assumptions about her “personal, professional and political” stance on unnamed subjects—a presumable reference to reports that she was angry with her husband’s indictment and political appearances.
Melania visits California for two private events hosted by the Log Cabin Republicans and Fix California—a voter engagement organization that provided the ex-first lady with a $250,000 payment, according to the New York Times.
The former first lady attends her husband’s formal presidential campaign announcement—one filled with false and inaccurate claims—but doesn’t give any remarks.
Melania provides a statement on the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, saying she was unaware of what was happening at the Capitol that day and that she would have denounced the violence had she known about it.
Melania appears on Fox News for a segment where she accused the news media of being “biased” and said “never say never” when asked about a potential return as first lady.
Melania makes a surprise visit at a U.S. Coast Guard station in Florida, later thanking members for their service in an Instagram post.
Melania attends a Republican Gala at Mar-A-Lago and is recognized as a guest of honor by the Log Cabin Republicans—a conservative LGBT advocacy group that Melania received $250,000 worth of speaking fees from in 2022, according to the New York Times.
Melania has remained close to her son, parents and a “handful of old friends,” according to the New York Times, which cited people close to the family saying Melania’s sparse public support of her husband “should not be confused with disapproval or indifference.” Throughout Donald Trump’s multiple indictments and court appearances in the past year, Melania Trump has remained mum. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest sons, have remained public defenders of their father, attacking the four indictments and supporting his presidential campaign efforts. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, the two most prominent family members in his administration, have backed away from his campaign this time, with Ivanka Trump saying she would be prioritizing her children and family over further time in the political arena. Following Trump’s first indictment, Ivanka said she was “pained” for her father and the country after.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported in late 2022 Trump blamed Melania and other advisors for pushing him to support celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz’s losing effort that year in Pennsylvania's Senate race. The post from Haberman provoked a denial from Trump, who apologized to his wife for the “Fake News and fictional stories” reported by “the Fake News Media.”
The former first lady began promoting her upcoming memoir, “Melania,” in September, saying in a video she feels “a responsibility to clarify the facts” about her private life, which “has often been the subject of public scrutiny and misrepresentation.” The book will address Trump’s loss in the 2020 election and the assassination attempt against him in July, according to videos posted by Melania, who questioned why law enforcement did not arrest the shooter before Trump’s speech.