How Trump's Travel Receipts Hint At Trouble In Paradise With Melania
Donald Trump has attended a ton of sporting events (some of which he's competed in himself) in the time since his second inauguration, and that's meant he's done a lot of travel, too. However, far from using any of those getaways to sneak in a baecation, Melania Trump hasn't tagged along for any of them.
As noted by USA Today, not even two and a half months into his presidency, Donald jetted into Florida for sports-related travel a whopping nine times. Of course, that's raised a ton of eyebrows, particularly in the wake of federal job cuts — but it also has us thinking there may be some trouble in paradise. After all, as we said, Melania hasn't been present for any of those trips. This is despite Donald staying at their Mar-a-Lago home for eight of his trips.
Now, it's no secret that Melania isn't exactly opposed to doing her own thing while Donald does his. Who can forget that during her husband's first administration, Melania delayed her move to the White House for a whopping five months? Having said that, insiders have since pointed out that Melania leads a lonely life as first lady and prefers being in Florida, as that's where most of her friends are based. Speaking to Page Six about it, one insider claimed that it was in Palm Beach where "she's made a tight circle of close friends who she trusts and likes to spend time with." With that in mind, the fact that she didn't tag along for any of her husband's visits back to their Palm Beach pad is a little odd. However, there's a twist: Melania hasn't been absent from Palm Beach or Mar-a-Lago so much as she just hasn't been with her husband.
It seems as though Melania has been at Mar-a-Lago, too
While Melania Trump's absence at the sports events Donald Trump attended certainly is a little confusing, it bears mentioning that more than a month prior to USA Today noting all of the president's sports-related trips, insiders spoke to People of the first lady's own activities at Mar-a-Lago.
According to the source, POTUS and FLOTUS "both live at Mar-a-Lago and have quarters in the White House ... but she leads her own life and joins him when appropriate in either place." From the sounds of things, the moments deemed appropriate were relatively few and far between. On whether Melania and Donald eat together when their Mar-a-Lago schedules align, the insider claimed that it did happen "on occasion." Peak romance. Granted, it did also seem as though Melania was pretty unbothered by that particular arrangement, as another source who spoke to the outlet also reiterated that she was just fine doing her own thing. "This is how she lives," they said. That's something Melania has said herself, too. In a January 2025 interview with "Fox & Friends" ahead of the inauguration, Melania confirmed that Donald wasn't wrapped around her finger, nor was she around his. "I'm standing on my own two feet, independent. I have my own thoughts, I have my own 'yes' and 'no.' I don't always agree [with] what my husband is saying or doing, and that's okay," she said.
As for what Melania has been up to amid her husband's work and travels, an unnamed political insider shared with People that she'd been busy with the documentary centered on her. With the documentary said to offer a glimpse into Melania stepping back into her role as FLOTUS, maybe part of it will provide more insight into her and Donald's dynamic.