Melania Trump's White House Life Looks Different This Time Around

If Melania Trump loved her first stint as first lady, she had a funny way of showing it. When Donald Trump threw his hat in the ring for yet another run, Melania all but ghosted his campaign. Her absence pretty much confirmed suspicions that she has little interest in reclaiming her place alongside the most powerful man in the free world, and even though she practically denies it, her actions say otherwise. Now that she's on her second rodeo, she seems to know exactly what she wants — and it's definitely not to play the traditional first lady role.

In all fairness to Melania, though, she did make an effort the first time around. She even went as far as to say that she enjoyed doing the job. "I love Washington. I love to live there. And I made the White House home," she told ABC News, which is funny, considering how she quite literally delayed her move to 1600 Pennsylvania until Barron Trump finished school. "We are very honored to serve our great nation," she said. But if there's anything she despises, it's being the subject of relentless media scrutiny, which is part and parcel of being in the spotlight. In fact, that's why she wore that infamous "I really don't care, do you?" jacket — she wanted to make a point. "[It was] for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me. I want to show them that I don't care. You could criticize whatever you want to say, but it will not stop me to do what I feel is right."

And now that her second term is well underway, Melania seems less concerned with public approval and more focused on doing things strictly on her own terms. She's not taking nonsense this time around.

From day one of her second round as first lady, Melania Trump made it clear that it's going to be far different. This time, she's doing things her way — and she's skipping the pleasantries. For starters, she infamously ditched the traditional meeting with outgoing first lady Jill Biden, reportedly opting to focus on the promo for her memoir instead. We don't know about you, but that seems like a clear snub.

But Trump insists that she's more prepared now. "I'm not anxious because this time is different. I have much more experience, much more knowledge. I was in the White House before. So when you go in, you know exactly what to expect," she told Fox News. "You know what kind of people you need to get. You need to have people that are on your team that they have the same vision as me and to serve me because they serve the country." Still, she's not brushing off the risks, saying that she's on high alert given how there was a threat on her husband's life. "It is different. It's much more dangerous," she added. "And I am very vigilant and very selective where I go, what do I do."

But don't mistake caution for inactivity. Trump seemed set on growing her brand even more, revealing that personal projects were keeping her busy. As it turns out, she was working on a documentary about — what else? — her own life. "I had an idea to, to make a movie, to make a film about my life," she shared on "Fox & Friends." "My life is incredible. It's incredibly busy. And, I told my agent, I have this idea, so please go out and make a deal for me."

As part of doing things her own way, Melania Trump is apparently not interested in being first lady 24/7. According to sources, Melania plans to split her time, prioritizing Barron Trump, who is now in college at NYU, over official duties. "Melania will be a part time first lady — while being a full-time mother and wife," an insider told the New York Post. With motherhood her number one, everything else has to take a backseat, including state dinners and photo ops. "Melania will be the first lady, but only on her terms. She'll do the big events. But no ladies' tea and no — or very few — interviews," they claimed. "She views winning as the main show, and the rest she'll do as she pleases."

And at the time of this writing, Melania has been true to her word. While she considers the White House home, she's rarely spotted there. "She will never be a traditional first lady. That isn't who she is," a source told People, noting that Melania has "her own ideas on what she wants to do." Another source from her inner circle even said that she couldn't care less about political matters, and will only engage if she feels like it. "She doesn't believe she has obligations in the political world. But she does care about children and their well being," they said. "Anything she may do in this administration will happen if she has the time and interest to pursue it."

The funniest thing about all this? The Melania of yesteryear — 26-year-old Melania to be exact — had always envisioned herself to be the picture-perfect first lady. "I would be very traditional, like Jackie Kennedy and Betty Ford," she told ABC News. Oh how times have changed!