The Truth About The Strange Way Donald And Melania Trump Eat At Mar-A-Lago

For the most part, Donald Trump has been relatively M.I.A. ever since he left the White House in January. Though he's claimed to a "number of people he's in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated [as president] by August," as The New York Times' Maggie Haberman tweeted, the former president has been laying low in Florida. According to Bloomberg, Trump has made Mar-a-Lago his "Fortress of Solitude" as he uses the country club as his power base for his post-presidential life.

"[Donald is] so relaxed and having a great time," Joe Budd, a Palm Beach County Republican, told the website in June. "He's doing what somebody of his age and success probably should be doing at this stage of life: enjoying himself, playing some golf. I think falling into that role is something he's going to find satisfying. To be the kingmaker, but not have to be the king, I think is going to be OK with him."

As it turns out, Trump and his wife are being treated differently at Mar-a-Lago. Scroll ahead to read new details about their life at the resort, including how people act around the former first couple when they are seen dining at the restaurant.

Donald and Melania Trump are reportedly "treated like zoo animals" at Mar-a-Lago because they sit by themselves at a "roped off table" in the restaurant. According to Michael Wolff's new book "Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency" (via Insider), the couple receives a standing ovation when they arrive for dinner and greet their friends and well-wishers as though they are a "newly married couple" on their wedding night.

The former first couple has been living in the Florida country club since Trump left the White House in January after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden. However, the couple's relationship has been called into question since there have been reports (via CNN) that she's been "bitter and chilly" towards her husband. Despite the fact that they often dine together, it's also unclear if they even live together. The author explained in his book (via MSN), "Maybe Melania lives here. For four years in the White House, it was never quite clear how much time she was spending at the White House."

Wolff's statement echoes that of a source who told CNN that the former first lady is rarely seen at Mar-a-Lago. "She's not a presence at Mar-a-Lago at all," an insider revealed in April. "She's not mingling with people and rarely interacts with her husband's staff."

Melania Trump is as elusive a figure at Mar-a-Lago as she was at the White House. While Donald Trump might enjoy a standing ovation upon entering the dining room, that's never been her style. During her time as first lady, she made the unusual decision to avoid public life, as much as the first lady can.

Traditionally, first ladies choose a social issue to focus their efforts on during their time in the white house. Michelle Obama chose to combat childhood obesity, and Nancy Reagan famously fought a war on drugs. Melania half-heartedly launched the "Be Best" campaign to combat cyberbullying, but it never really got off the ground.

Chances are she's much happier staying more under the radar at Mar-a-Lago than she ever was at the White House. When she isn't delighting guests with a dinner appearance, she's likely holed up in the "large suite of room" she shares with her husband. She also reportedly enjoys frequent trips to the spa, having been known to go twice a day, per CNN.

Melania might be MIA from Mar-a-Lago events every now and then, but when she and Donald do show up for dinner, it's not just the guests who pay attention. The kitchen staff is expected to give a presidential level of attention to the former first couple's diets, and you better believe that's a lot of pressure.

They say opposites attract, and Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, couldn't be more proof, at least as far as diets are concerned. Melania, who met Donald when she was working as a fashion model in New York, adheres to a strict, health-focused meal plan. She tries to eat seven different fruits and vegetables a day (Michelle Obama would be proud), per Business Insider. Scroll back through her Twitter, and you'll find photos of her breakfasts, mostly fruit bowls and smoothies. She likely follows a similar diet at Mar-a-Lago, which might complicate things for chefs, considering how different her diet is from her husband's.

In his 2004 book, "Think Like a Billionaire," Trump breaks down the secrets of his diet. "We call it the Mar-a-Lago Diet," he wrote, per Vox. "If I didn't adhere to it from time to time, my waistline would be an absolute disaster." The so-called "Mar-a-Lago Diet" isn't all that nuanced. The idea is to stay away from highly processed foods and focus on healthy fats. That's all well and good, but Donald has been known to stray from the diet more than once. He's famously fond of meatloaf and reportedly likes his steak well done and covered in ketchup, per Eater.

We can't say for certain, but we're pretty sure ketchup does not count as one of Melania's seven vegetables a day.