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Sigrid Rege Gårdsvoll, a prominent commentator on American politics, has noted that Melania is “conspicuous by her absence.” In her analysis, Gårdsvoll points out that the fundamental difficulty in forming a coherent opinion on Melania as a First Lady stems from her invisibility. Unlike her predecessors, who often used periods of political turmoil to humanize the administration or champion specific social causes, Melania appears to have embraced a policy of total detachment. This withdrawal is particularly striking given the intensity of the Greenland controversy and the domestic backlash currently facing her husband.
However, not all experts believe this absence is a sign of crisis. Eirik Løkke, a specialist in U.S. politics and an advisor to the think tank Civita, argues that Melania’s low profile is not a reaction to current events, but rather a consistent execution of her long-standing personal brand. Løkke suggests that she has never had an interest in the traditional “public servant” role of a First Lady. Throughout the 2024 campaign, she was notably less visible than the spouses of other presidential candidates, signaling early on that her second tenure in the White House would be defined by her own terms of engagement.
“She does not want to take on a public role; she prefers to stay in the background,” Løkke observed. He further hypothesized that her absence might be a calculated effort to avoid being overshadowed by the President’s massive media presence. In the current environment, where Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Greenland and international policy dominates every headline, there is little room for a secondary narrative. Løkke suggests that the President himself may prefer a singular spotlight, and Melania is more than happy to concede it to him. “Everything pales in comparison to Donald Trump and how he is as president,” Løkke stated, implying that the First Lady’s withdrawal may be the most harmonious path for their unique partnership.
This pattern of selective engagement was a hallmark of her first term as well. Between 2017 and 2021, Melania Trump curated a presence that was both highly polished and deeply guarded. She would appear for major state functions, international summits, and holiday events, but she largely avoided the day-to-day political discourse that typically involves the First Lady. When she did speak, it was often through carefully controlled statements or specific initiatives like “Be Best,” which focused on children’s well-being and cyberbullying. Now, in 2026, it seems she has refined this strategy even further, moving from selective visibility to near-total reclusiveness during times of heightened tension.
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