Two charges, two court dates. Two opportunities for Donald Trump to show the cameras around the world that he is surrounded by many advisers, his son Eric and most of all his very loyal supporters. But one person was noticed by his absence: his wife Melania.
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Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship, distant and enigmatic, has been a constant source of rumors, supported by analysis of their body language.
A dinner with a billionaire in Florida, a New Year’s Eve performance at the same time, a trip to Scotland in May: Melania Trump does not snub all of her husband’s public engagements, quite the opposite.
But she doesn’t go so far as to accompany him to court.
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Her absence during her legal ordeal has fueled speculation as to whether or not she supports the Republican.
Pat Nixon’s tears
Donald Trump brushed the issue aside in an interview on Sunday, praising his wife’s “incredible attitude.” “In her very reserved way, she doesn’t care that much,” he said. And to add: “He is a wonderful person. »
For Katherine Jellison, a historian at the University of Ohio, Melania Trump’s absence is particularly striking as there are numerous examples of women politicians showing solidarity with their spouses in times of crisis.
“I think of Pat Nixon, who cried beside her husband as he was forced to resign over the Watergate scandal. And to Hillary Clinton, who bravely stood by her husband after he admitted perjury in the Lewinsky affair,” she told AFP.
Photo archives, AFP
“It’s the kind of imagery that Americans are used to,” says the professor, a specialist in presidential couples.
Very reluctantly, Melania Trump, on the contrary, adhered to precise communication, only very rarely during her husband’s tenure.
During one of her rare interviews in 2018, she said she had “other things on her mind” than the Republican’s alleged infidelities with actress Stormy Daniels.
But it was alleged accounting fraud related to payments to this porn star that landed Donald Trump his first indictment in April.
Cracks in the Trump camp
Melania Trump’s team then criticized “the media, which multiplies speculation about the former First Lady’s position on personal, professional and political issues.” Without coming to the aid of Donald Trump.
The rare public statements by the former first lady, originally from Slovenia, are now dedicated to an initiative to protect children’s well-being. Or his sale of NFT, digital works.
Another rift in the Trump clan that the 70-year-old has long been betting on: his beloved daughter Ivanka, a very close aide, has warned she will “not interfere” with his campaign for the 2024 election.
The case of Casey DeSantis
This family dynamic is in stark contrast to that of his main rival for the 2024 Republican primary, 1940s Ron DeSantis. His wife Casey, his first political adviser, is seen as instrumental in tempering his cold man reputation.
The 42-year-old former journalist, who is present at all campaign meetings, also cultivates her image as a mother.
Like this Saturday Rodeo in Oklahoma, where after a performance on stage with her husband, she was spotted encouraging one of their sons on a mechanical bull.
Images captured and widely shared by the entire DeSantis campaign team.
Casey DeSantis “is at least as interested in her husband’s political career as he is,” says Katherine Jellison. Unlike Melania Trump, who doesn’t seem to have the same desire to get involved, she says.