Melania Trump Makes Rare Campaign Trail Appearance to Cast Her Ballot, Teases More Publicity Ahead: ‘Stay Tuned’

Mar. 15, 2025

Melania Trumpis hinting that she may return to the spotlight as the presidential election draws nearer.

While the former first lady has been decidedly absent from the bulk ofDonald Trump’s 2024 campaign appearances, she publicly appeared alongside him on Tuesday to cast her presidential primary ballot at a Palm Beach, Florida, polling place.

The ceremonial outing delivered an important couple’s photo op for the Trump campaign, whose most notable joint appearance in recent months wasat the funeral of Melania’s mother, Amalija Knavs. Melania has not attended any of her husband’scourt hearings, and according toCNN, was not even present at her husband’s Super Tuesday watch party at Mar-a-Lago, where they live.

Donald and Melania Trump leave a polling place on March 19, 2024, after casting their ballots in Florida’s Republican presidential primary.GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

As sources told PEOPLE last year, Melaniainitially had no plans to be involvedin her husband’s third White House campaign — particularly as the former president dealt with the legal fallout of an alleged hush money payment he made to adult film starStormy Danielsin 2016.

Donald and Melania Trump make a rare joint appearance on Florida’s presidential primary election day.GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

“Melania is not now or hasn’t recently taken part in her husband’s political events,” a source told PEOPLE last April. “It is not comfortable for her.”

But the former first lady’s suggestion that she may become more publicly supportive comes at a time when her husband is nowalmost certain to be the Republican nomineefor president, having won more than half the GOP delegates in the presidential primary race.

As another source recently told PEOPLE, Melania is often present when she’s needed but prefers to stay away from larger campaign rallies and gatherings — including ones held at the couple’s Mar-a-Lago home.

“Melania dislikes a petting zoo,” the source said. “She goes when she has to but if it’s not essential she prefers to stay out of the public eye. When an event is packed full of campaigning types and crowds of people even at Mar-a-Lago, she tries to opt out.”

Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump, Barron Trump and Donald Trump greet the casket of Melania’s mother, Amalija Knavs, on Jan. 18, 2024.GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

Melania began this year on a “journey of loss and grief,” after her mother,Amalija,died in Januaryat age 78. More recently, she has been focused on looking at colleges for her only son,Barron Trump, who turned 18 on Wednesday.

Donald’s daughterIvankahas also been noticeably absent from the 2024 campaign trail, and said publicly in 2022 that sheplanned to stay out of politics"moving forward."

Ivanka and her husband,Jared Kushner, served as senior advisers to President Trump during his term in office from January 2017 to 2021.

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source: people.com