Speculation is growing over the Trump family, with Melania Trump once again failing to appear alongside her husband Donald, at his latest court appearance.
The former president appeared at a Washington D.C. court on Thursday to plead not guilty on four charges in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
It continued a pattern of Melania refusing to attend court with her husband having been noticeably absent from the campaign trail so far.
She has, at the very least, publicly supported the Trump Train in a Fox News interview in May, but Melania’s campaign efforts have been minimal aside from that.
Amid growing speculation as to the reasons behind her lack of public support, longtime aide Stephanie Grisham sought to quash rumors in an interview with CNN on Thursday.
Melania Trump: No alarms and no surprises
Grisham, who served as the first lady’s chief of staff and spokesperson, was skeptical over rumors of a falling out between the Trumps.
“I actually don’t make anything of it,” she told CNN. “That is Melania Trump.”
“She is saying in her mind, you know, this is his issue, he can deal with it. He doesn’t need me there to prop him up.”
With the former first lady remaining popular among conservative women, Mrs. Trump could prove key in resonating with Republican voters who are conflicted on the party’s stance on abortion rights.
However, Grisham expects Melania to only campaign on her own terms.
“She will show up by his side when she wants to, when she’s perfectly ready,” Grisham told CNN.
Grisham’s comments are interesting given the fallout between the two women. Their relationship reportedly soured following Grisham’s resignation in the aftermath of January 6, not helped by the former aide releasing a memoir about her time in the White House several months later.
Melania’s very private life
A New York Times profile published last month revealed how Melania is keen to remain out of the public eye until she could be forced back into it next year.
According to Grisham, Mrs. Trump follows media coverage about her husband’s legal troubles, and so is fully aware of the charges against him.
Couri Hay, a New York publicist and acquaintance of Melania Trump, also sought to extinguish rumors of a fallout between the Trumps in an interview with The Times on Thursday.
He said that much of her time is spent with her parents, or helping 17-year-old son Baron to find colleges. “The former president relies on her advice and her support, but it’s all done very privately,” Hay added.
Nevertheless, in a presidential election where personality means as much as policy, speculation will only grow while Mrs. Trump, at least publicly, remains in the shadows.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
