Melania Dazzles, Barron Gets Standing Ovation in Rare Public Appearances
In the spring, it wasn’t clear whether Melania Trump would take any part in her husband’s third presidential campaign.
Melania Trump appears to be re-entering political life with a power look usually reserved for world leaders, hosting an “amazingly spectacular” $14 million fundraiser for a LGBTQ Republican group at her three-story Manhattan penthouse.
Meanwhile, the former president’s youngest son, Barron, who Ms. Trump has tried to keep out of the political spotlight, appeared beside his father at a rally at Miami.
In the spring, it wasn’t clear whether Mrs. Trump would take any part in her husband’s third presidential campaign, telling reports only to “stay tuned” when asked about the topic.
While she hasn’t appeared at Trump’s rallies, his debate against President Biden, or at his New York criminal trial, she did host a fundraiser for a conservative LGBTQ rights group, the Log Cabin Republicans, Monday evening, where she reportedly drummed up some $1.4 million for her husband at the Trump Tower fundraiser.
Mrs. Trump was photographed wearing a $4,000, power-red Valentino dress at the event, which was hosted in the three-floor penthouse of the tower.
The dress choice was a rare instance in which Mrs. Trump wore a dress she has worn before publicly. She had previously worn the dress at a formal dinner with Trump and the leader of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, which was held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
The former acting director of national intelligence under Trump, Richard Grennel, said in a post on X it was “the first campaign event ever held at the Trump residence,” while the head of the Log Cabin Republicans, Charles Moran, called it an “amazingly spectacular event.”
At the same time Mrs. Trump is dipping her toes back into politics, Barron Trump appeared at one of his father’s rallies at Miami Tuesday night. Trump posted photos of his son on Truth Social at about 2 a.m. eastern time.
“Barron Trump,” Trump said at the rally last night. “This is the first time he’s ever done it, Barron.”
The rally appearance of the youngest member of the Trump family made waves because Mrs. Trump has previously kept her son, the only child she had with Trump, out of the political sphere.
Earlier this year, the Florida Republican Party attempted to get the young Mr. Trump, 18, involved in politics by announcing that he would be one of the state’s at-large delegates to the Republican National Convention. Mrs. Trump’s office, though, quickly put the kibosh on that plan, announcing that Barron would not serve as a delegate.
Mrs. Trump has also indicated that she planned to split her time in a potential second Trump administration between New York and Washington, D.C., because she wants to stay close to Barron during his first year in college, though it’s not yet public information where Mr. Trump will be attending school.
The rare foray into politics for Mrs. Trump and her son comes less than a week ahead of the Republican National Convention at Milwaukee, and it’s not known whether either of them will be in attendance.
According to the official calendar for the event, Mrs. Trump is not slated for any speaking commitments during the convention, a change from 2016 and 2020.