Where has Melania Trump gone? How the former First Lady spent the year 2021

Melania Trump appeared to be sending a clear message to the world when she stepped off Air Force One for the final time in January 2021, indicating that she planned to leave the spotlight for good.

When she arrived at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, she refused to stop and pose for pictures, despite wearing dark sunglasses and a striking printed Gucci dress.

Instead, she walked away from the paparazzi with barely a glance, leaving her husband, former President Donald Trump, to stand and pose for photos.

Melania, a former model, never secured her dissatisfaction with being in the public as FLOTUS. She notably stayed in New York with her 15-year-old son Barron after her husband started his one-term presidency in 2017.

Now that she is no longer under investigation, she has kept a very low profile in 2021, only appearing in public on just a few occasions.

The first time was in mid-February when she posed for a photo with a fan at Mar-a-Lago. She was captured on camera wearing a £3,000 black Dolce and Gabbana dress with daisies. She appeared relaxed and happy as she smiled at the camera.

Her mood seemed in contrast to a statement issued by her newly-created office days earlier, in which she reacted angrily to CNN’s claims that she was ‘bitter and chilly’ with Donald over their departure from the White House following the riots in Washington.

CNN also claimed she was jealous of the positive attention given to her successor, Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden.

“Mrs. Trump is no longer First Lady,” it said. “She is a private citizen, mother, and wife. Sources in this article are not affiliated with her nor have insight into her thoughts or daily life.”

The Trumps launched a website for their personal offices, 45office.com, at the end of March. But, despite rumors that she was spending all of her time ‘having spa treatments and eating healthy fish lunches,’ Melania didn’t appear to be easing her way back into public life until April.

She wore a £1400 Giambattista Vali figure-hugging white dress to a high-profile GOP fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago and was greeted with applause as she walked behind her husband.

Following the death of her husband, Prince Philip, she released a joint statement with Donald to express their condolences to the Queen.

On April 14, she was pictured with her husband at a private roped-off table at Mar-a-Lago. At least two former aides speculated that Trumps’ marriage was in trouble and that Melania would file for divorce soon.

Melania turned 51 two weeks later, on April 26, and while she made no announcement about her celebrations, she did tweet the day after, saying, ‘Thank you to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes!’

In May 2021, a series of retweets followed to celebrate the anniversary of her Be Best Initiative, which focuses on children’s emotional and physical well-being.

Melania was conspicuously absent from her husband’s 75^th birthday celebrations in June, and her next sighting was in early July in New York, fueling rumors that the couple is breaking up. She was seen leaving the Trump Tower with her son Barron, who is now 6ft 7inches tall and towers over both of his parents.

However, she did not make any further public comments until August 8. Only then did she call historian Michael Beschloss “ignorant and dishonorable” for criticizing her redesign of the White House Rose Garden.

Weeks of silence began once more. However, at the end of October, the Trumps made an appearance at a World Series baseball game. Melania did little to suppress further rumors that all was not well in her marriage when she turned away from her husband and flashed a killer scowl.

This appearance, however, marked a more enthusiastic re-entry into public life, and it is perhaps no coincidence that her husband has hinted at running for President again.

On November 8 and 9, she shared a series of Instagram posts about Richard Grenell, former acting director of the United States National Intelligence, who is a supporter of Melania Trump’s Spirit of Lincoln Award.

On November 11, she posted a tweet in honor of America’s troops. Days later, she revealed that she had received an award from a Republican Party organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ Americans’ equal rights. Only a few days ago (15th December), she announced the launch of an NTF (non-fungible token), stating that “a portion of the proceeds will assist children aging out of the foster care system.”

She is said to be planning an auction in January with digital artwork, physical artwork, and a ‘one-of-a-kind’ physical accessory. Despite her desire for privacy, it appears that the former First Lady is willing to return to the spotlight one more time.