Former first lady Melania Trump gave a two-word answer after being asked if she plans to return to the campaign trail ahead of the 2024 election.
"Stay tuned," she said to reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, alongside her husband, former President Donald Trump.
The ex-president is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, setting him up to once against face President Joe Biden in November.
The Context
Melania has been, on a whole, less visible when compared to spouses of previous presidential candidates, and her approach to her husband's campaign trail underscores the unconventional nature of Donald Trump's bid for the presidency.
Unlike past first ladies who have actively campaigned on behalf of their partners, during the 2016 presidential race, Melania chose moments that would maximize impact without exposing herself to the harsher elements of campaign scrutiny. She also did not hold a traditional activist role similar to her predecessors during Trump's four years in the White House.
Melania maintained a similarly low profile during the former president's 2020 campaign, and has yet to be seen on the 2024 campaign trail, although she has attended a handful of events at Mar-a-Lago.
On Tuesday, Melania stood next to her husband while the former president fielded questions from reporters after casting his vote in the Florida Republican primary. She was asked only the one question about her role on the campaign trail.
What We Know
In May, roughly six months after Trump announced his reelection campaign, Melania told Fox News Digital that she was fully supportive of her husband's decision to run for president again.
Trump has also said in the past that he anticipates his wife will play a "big role" in his campaign, telling Fox News' Brian Kilmeade that he often relies on Melania for advice because she is "very smart" and "very compassionate."
"I think she's going to be very active in the sense of being active, at the same time, I don't want my family to be too active because they did such a great job last time," the former president added.
Views
Several of Donald Trump's supporters celebrated Melania's hint that she plans to make more campaign appearances soon. Conservative activist Brigitte Gabriel, who shared a clip of the former first lady's answer to X, formerly Twitter, called the announcement "great news."
Former Arizona congressional candidate and podcast host Brenden Dilley also posted a video of Melania's comments to X, writing, "God bless Melania Trump. I wouldn't blame her one bit if she abstained from the campaign trail and politics altogether after how she has been treated."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email for additional comment on Tuesday.
What's Next?
Five states—Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio—are holding primary votes on Tuesday. Trump was declared the presumptive GOP nominee by the Associated Press on March 12 after he collected additional primary wins in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington. Biden also unofficially clinched the Democratic nomination the same day.
Update 03/19/24, 6:07 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
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