Former first lady Melania Trump is reportedly telling friends that she doesn’t want to return to the White House ― and that if her husband, Donald Trump, plans to run again, he’ll have to do it without her help.
“Not unlike 2016, Melania Trump has no intention, really, of joining the campaign or being a prolific presence,” CNN’s Kate Bennett said Sunday on “Inside Politics.” “I spoke to people who’ve said she’s not even interested in being in the White House again, going through being first lady again.”
Bennett said Melania Trump is a private person who has “retreated” to Mar-a-Lago and “really has no interest in helping her husband” with any possible 2024 run.
She added that Melania Trump refused to participate in 2016 events so frequently that the campaign eventually stopped asking her.
Donald Trump hasn’t announced his plans for 2024 yet, but he’s told fans they’ll be “very happy” with his decision, and various supporters including Rep. Jim Jordan and Jason Miller have said he is planning to run again.
But by most indications, the former first lady wasn’t too thrilled with her time in the White House.
In one conversation secretly recorded by former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melanie Trump even complained about decorating the White House for the holidays.
“I’m working my ass off at Christmas stuff,” she said. “You know, who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff and decorations, but I need to do it, right?”