Washington DC - First Lady Melania Trump recently boasted about how hard she has worked to preserve the history of the White House, but did not mention how President Donald Trump has been tearing it up.
On Wednesday, instead of attending the GOP midterm convention with her husband in Texas, Melania gave a speech from the newly renovated Rose Garden, where she said the White House "stands as an architectural autobiography of America."
"As stewards of the places shaped by those before us, we are tasked with making decisions that honor future generations. It is our duty to ensure that the choices we make today are worthy of the legacy we pass forward," she said.
The First Lady spoke positively about working alongside various federal historic agencies – such as the Committee for the Preservation of the White House and the Commission of Fine Arts – when she oversaw the redesign of the White House tennis pavilion in 2018.
Melania's remarks come as her husband has been making drastic changes to the White House and other federal buildings in his second term, often without seeking approval from historians and preservationists.
Notably, several of his projects have undone work Melania oversaw in the past, including her renovations to the Rose Garden, her East Wing office, and her work on the White House Bowling Alley.
While his projects have faced legal challenges and intense scrutiny from voters, Melania has remained silent on her husband's ambitions, which she maintained during her speech.
Melania Trump's speech fuels further speculation about her marriage
According to a White House program, Melania's speech was part of a three-day Presidential Sites Summit event that aims to emphasize "lessons learned, future collaborations, and strategies for sustaining relevance in a dynamic cultural landscape."
Melania has avoided the public eye throughout most of her husband's second term, sparking speculation about the state of their marriage. Her recent decision to skip out on joining him at the midterm convention has added fuel to such rumors.
CNN reports that some attendees at the event were surprised Melania didn't mention her husband, with one sharing, "She is staking out her own reputation, and there was no even attempt to defend her husband. The silence was deafening."