Former First Lady Melania Trump teased her involvement in her husband’s 2024 presidential campaign on Tuesday.
Mrs. Trump made a rare public appearance alongside former President Donald Trump while casting their votes in the Florida GOP presidential primary, which he won later that evening, per The Associated Press.
When asked by a reporter if she would join her husband on the campaign trail, the former first lady responded, “Stay tuned.”
Mrs. Trump, who was famously private during her time as first lady, was smiling and stood with her husband for photographs with members of the public outside the polling venue on Tuesday.
President Trump secured the Republican nomination after winning the required delegates when several primaries were called on March 12, a week after Super Tuesday.
The former president’s wife has rarely appeared at events or media appearances during her husband’s primary campaign, but as she indicated, this might change.
In November 2022, the former first lady stood by President Trump when he officially launched his campaign at their Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Mrs. Trump, whose mother was ill and passed away late last year, has also rarely made public appearances alongside President Trump during his 2024 bid.
She made a rare appearance in February to support President Trump’s campaign at an event at Mar-a-Lago hosted by the Trumpettes USA, a group of wealthy female socialites who support the former president’s candidacy.
The event was attended by 800 of President Trump’s wealthiest supporters, members of Congress, celebrities, and former presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy, who gathered to honor him.
However, Mrs. Trump was not among the family members on stage as he delivered victory speeches in early primary states or on Super Tuesday.
The two were spotted together at the funeral of Mrs. Trump’s mother in January.
Last month, President Trump attributed his wife’s absence to her preferring not to be in the spotlight, demarcating her as different from other former first ladies.
“You know, a lot of first ladies would go out; they want to be everywhere. They get angry at their husband because he’s not introducing them,” President Trump told TV host Laura Ingraham during a town hall.
“If I didn’t introduce Melania, she’d be very happy about it. She’s just a different kind of a person,” he added.
The former president described his wife as a “private person” who is focused on their family.
Last September, President Trump said that his wife would eventually join him on the campaign trail “when it’s appropriate.” However, she was focused on their son Barron’s schooling, he said.
“She loves that boy. ... She'll be with us. She’s very, very supportive,” he told “Meet the Press.”
The Republican nominee expressed his preference at the time for his wife to stay away from the campaign trail, saying that he wasn’t pushing for her to be involved.
“Honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It’s so nasty and so mean,” he said.
“She’s a private person, a great person, very confident person, and she loves our country very much. She‘ll be—at the appropriate time—she’ll be out there,” he said.
The former president’s family campaigned publicly when he ran in 2016.
Last May, Mrs. Trump expressed her support for her husband and hope that he would restore America after a private luncheon at Mar-a-Lago.
“He has my support, and we look forward to restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength,” she told Fox News. “My husband achieved tremendous success in his first administration, and he can lead us toward greatness and prosperity once again.”
The former first lady has said that helping children in the foster system has been a focus of her time since leaving the White House, and would continue to be part of her work upon return.
“My focus would continue to be creating a safe and nurturing space for children to learn, grow, and thrive,” she said. “My goal would be to ensure that every child has the support and resources they need to reach their full potential.”
President Trump’s third presidential run has seen him besieged with legal battles and four criminal indictments—culminating in the first-ever mugshot of a U.S. president being taken when he was booked at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia last August—which did nothing to prevent him from securing the GOP nomination.
