Former First Lady Melania Trump has been conspicuously absent throughout her husband’s six-week trial and has yet to make any public statements. Her notable silence stands in stark contrast to Ivanka Trump, who has openly supported her father after his historic criminal conviction in the hush money trial in New York.
Throughout Donald Trump’s trial, Melania was not seen in court once and has not commented on the proceedings. Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump, who also served as a special advisor during her father’s presidency, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram shortly after the guilty verdict was delivered on Thursday.
The jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign. Daniels claims they had a sexual encounter in 2006, which Trump denies.
Jurors announced their verdict at 4:20 pm on Thursday, just as Justice Juan Merchan was preparing to dismiss them for the day.
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Soon after, Ivanka shared a childhood photo of herself sitting on her smiling father’s lap, captioning it with “I love you dad,” and a heart emoji. Her public show of support for her father is markedly different from Melania’s silence.
The alleged hush money payments were made to conceal the affair between Daniels and Trump, which allegedly occurred shortly after Melania gave birth to their son Barron.
Stephanie Grisham, a former White House Press Secretary, told CNN that the constant inquiries about Melania’s whereabouts “absolutely” irritate the former president.
“Oh absolutely I know it bothers him,” Grisham told Erin Burnett on Wednesday. “If Mrs. Trump wasn’t at some event and it was really noted, he would definitely bring it up with her.”
Despite Melania’s absence, Donald Trump Jr. was very vocal on Thursday about the verdict.
“Such bulls***,” Trump Jr. wrote on X. He had earlier shared a video from inside the Manhattan courthouse joking with his father about writing mean tweets. “Guilty on all counts,” he later added. “The Democrats have succeeded in their years-long attempt to turn America into a third-world s******. November 5 is our last chance to save it.”
Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate for the 2024 race, is now the first convicted felon to run for the White House. He maintained his innocence post-conviction on Thursday.
“I am a very innocent man,” he declared in the courthouse hallway after the verdict was read. He condemned the trial as “rigged” and “a disgrace,” claiming the “country was going to hell.”
Trump will return to Manhattan criminal court on July 11th for sentencing.
Melania’s prolonged absence and silence amid this turmoil suggest she may be ready to leave Donald Trump, possibly signaling a significant shift in their relationship.
