Mark Twain was a major fan of the Associated Press. He said, “There are two only things that can carry light to all corners of the globe, the sun in the heavens and the Associated Press down here.” Granting that that’s still true, for all its powers the Associated Press can’t seem to find Melania Trump. It’s going to be a big week for the GOP presumptive nominee, particularly Thursday when he takes on the incumbent president in the first debate of two, which is anticipated to be a real game changer for the election. Joe Biden is at Camp David prepping away while Donald Trump is out playing golf. And where’s Melania? Nobody seems to know, not even the illustrious Associated Press, which has done its best to find her.
The Associated Press reached out to 15 people who have been in major fundraisers or in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate recently. None said they had encountered Melania Trump on the Florida property.
Her office has not responded to several requests for comment. Her only public statement of late came two days after the Florida Republican Party announced with fanfare that son Barron Trump, 18, was chosen as a state delegate for the Republican National Convention and her office said he could not make it, citing prior commitments.
Reporters at the New York courthouse during Trump’s felony trial repeatedly asked him, “Where’s Melania?” but he never answered. Trump allies cited their son’s school calendar as the main reason for her absence without denying it was a delicate time for the family.
Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, was asked whether there were talks about her accompanying him to court.
“That wasn’t a discussion that I wanted to have,” Blanche responded, speaking to Miami trial attorney David Oscar Markus for his “For The Defense” podcast. “This was a tough case because of the nature of the charges, the evidence that came in, the history, how long it had been.”
Some of the testimony aired how Trump allegedly had sex with porn actor Stormy Daniels in July 2006, about four months after Melania Trump had given birth to Barron; Trump has denied Daniels’ claim. Trump’s former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen testified that Trump did not appear to care about how the story of an encounter he was looking to bury would hurt his marriage as much as he cared about it damaging his 2016 presidential aspirations.
But Hope Hicks, Trump’s 2016 campaign communications chief, testified that Trump was concerned in 2016 about how a story related to Playboy model Karen MacDougal would be viewed by his wife and wanted her to make sure newspapers were not delivered to their residence.
Melania Trump did not post anything on her social media accounts after her husband was convicted on 34 felony counts. That’s in contrast to Trump’s elder sons, who quickly condemned the verdict. Daughter Ivanka Trump posted on Instagram a photo of her as a toddler with a younger Trump and the message “I love you dad.” Tiffany Trump, his younger daughter, accompanied him to the courthouse last month for the trial’s closing arguments.
Yes, Melania is supposed to show her face for a Log Cabin fundraiser in her own home at Trump Tower. That she probably will do — although who knows? Maybe she won’t even be there for that. That’s something that she could phone in or photoshop in, more accurately. But the true litmus test will be whether she’s there on Thursday night when Trump debates Biden in Atlanta.
Does anybody want to make book on whether she’ll be there? I say no. Although, on the other hand, if there is one appearance that she could be paid to make, this would be that appearance. It’s going to look very odd if she doesn’t show up. But I would say that the odds are no better than 50/50.
Where’s Natasha? She’s with Waldo.
Are we even sure he’s going to be a show?
Has anyone checked the second tee at Bedminster?
Does anyone else wonder why no one is talking about Trump being sentenced to multiple years in prison on July 11th? It’s pretty clear to me that he is going directly to prison on that date. There’s no possible way the judge is going to give him probation or home confinement or delay his sentence until after the election. He’s going directly to prison and no one will ever see him again except in an orange jumpsuit appearing in court for his next 3 trials. Right?
Wouldn’t bet on Mel showing up for the debate.
At this point, it’s 50-50 whether Syphilis Don will even show.
Maybe she’s in Moscow, looking for a new condo.
No, I suspect she is in New York overseeing decorating Harris’s dorm room or apartment and buying his wardrobe. I actually feel.sorry for that kid.