PR Expert Tells Us Trump's Explainer On Melania's Disappearing Act Doesn't Hold Up
Was Donald Trump making a campaign promise that he can't keep when he said that former First Lady Melania Trump will eventually join him on the campaign trail? During Donald's first successful White House bid, Melania was often by his side when he met with voters. But this time around, her absence seems telling to many, and Donald couldn't dodge a question about it when he spoke to "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.
In November 2022, Melania was with her husband at Mar-a-Lago when he announced that he was running for president again. She also told Fox News Digital that she was ready and willing to serve as first lady again during a May 2023 interview. "He has my support, and we look forward to restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength," she said of her husband. What she didn't do, however, was say that she planned on helping Donald regain entry to the Oval Office by campaigning on his behalf.
Donald told Welker (via "Today") that his wife's attention has been focused on their son, Barron Trump, as of late, but said, "She'll be with us. she's very, very supportive." When Welker pressed Donald on whether this means that she'll physically join him at campaign events in the near future, his voice rose a few octaves when he replied, "Yeah, pretty soon. When it's appropriate." However, according to one expert, Trump may not be telling the whole story about his wife's disappearing act.
Donald Trump used evasive language when asked about Melania
Nicki Swift spoke exclusively with crisis management expert Eden Gillott of Gillott Communications about Donald Trump's assurance that his wife will eventually start appearing by his side again. According to Gillott, Donald made a mistake when he gave Kristen Welker a somewhat winded response to her question about Melania Trump. Instead of simply saying yes and moving on, he kept talking. But before he kept talking, Gillott observes, "He gave an unsure pause." His claim that Melania was planning on joining him "pretty soon" didn't help matters, as he seemed uncertain about his words as they were leaving his mouth. "It's the kind of delivery you give when someone asks you to commit to something you don't want to do or never plan to do, but you're trying to be nice," said Gillott. "Also, using the phrase 'when it's appropriate' is evasive corporate-sounding language."
Gillott suggested that Trump's rambling was a sign that he was "nervous." And right after he tried to convince viewers that they would be seeing more of Melania in the future, he said of his wife, "She's a private person." According to some sources, this is exactly why Melania hasn't been front-and-center during Trump's campaign. "At this stage of her life she does not want to be in the spotlight," an insider told People. The source further claimed that Melania has concluded that putting some distance between herself and her husband's scandals has proved to be a wise decision.