Melania Trump, the wife of President-elect Donald Trump, has ended months of speculation about whether she will move back to the White House with her husband.
Newsweek contacted Trump’s transition team for comment.
Why It Matters
Ahead of November’s election, People magazine reported that the former first lady was “not likely” to make the White House her main residence, citing “a social source close to the Trumps.”
Following the election, Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden to begin the transition process. However, Melania Trump did not meet with first lady Jill Biden, prompting speculation about her intentions to return to the White House.
Melania Trump, the former first lady, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 31, 2024. Trump is set to become first lady for a second time when her husband returns to office on January 20.
Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images
What To Know
In an interview that aired on Monday, Melania Trump told Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt that she planned to move back to the White House.
The former first lady—who stayed in Manhattan during the first months of her husband’s previous administration so that their son, Barron, could finish school—said the difference with moving this time around is that she is familiar with the residence.
“I know the rooms where we will be living. I know the process,” she said. “The first time was challenging.”
She added: “This time I have everything. I have the plans. I could move in. I already packed. I already selected the, you know, furniture that needs to go in.”
The former first lady also said that not much would change in terms of decoration from when the Trumps lived in the White House eight years ago.
In the interview, Melania Trump mentioned her memoir, which was published in October, and an upcoming Amazon documentary, which began production in November and is expected to show her day-to-day life.
“I got so many messages and letters how they enjoyed the book, and they would love—my fans and people would love—to hear more from me,” Melania Trump said. “So I had an idea to make a movie, to make a film about my life. My life is incredible. It’s incredibly busy.”
Many political commentators, including Fox News host Howard Kurtz, noted that the former first lady was barely visible during Donald Trump’s latest presidential campaign. She was also absent from an image posted by Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter Kai after her grandfather’s win.
In October, she made a rare appearance at her husband’s Madison Square Garden rally, where she called his supporters “the heartbeat of this great metropolis.” On election night, she joined her husband onstage for his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Who Is Melania Trump
The future first lady grew up in Slovenia in the 1980s, when it was a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In 1996, she moved to the United States to pursue a career in modeling. In 2005, she married Donald Trump, and the couple had Barron a year later.
On July 28, 2006, Melania Trump became a U.S. citizen. She had obtained a green card through the EB-1 visa program in 2001. Often referred to as the “Einstein visa,” it is reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability in fields such as arts, sciences or business.
In a previous interview with Fox News, the former first lady said her mother moved to the United States from Slovenia to be closer to Barron, likening her to a “second mother” for him.
She also told Earhardt in the interview that aired on Monday that she did not always agree with her husband and what he was doing.
“I have my own thoughts. I have my own yes or no,” Melania Trump said.
What Happens Next
On January 20, Melania Trump is set to become first lady for a second time when her husband is sworn into office.
She told Fox & Friends that the Bidens would continue living in the White House until Inauguration Day and that the transition team would have five hours to move the Bidens out and the Trumps in.
