Melania questions intensify amid Trump's historic hush money trial

New York, New York - Melania Trump was again absent as her husband, Donald Trump, ventured into court for the first day of his historic hush money trial.

On Monday, the highly anticipated hush money trial against former President Donald Trump began, but his wife Melania was noticeably absent from his side.
On Monday, the highly anticipated hush money trial against former President Donald Trump began, but his wife Melania was noticeably absent from his side.  © SAUL LOEB / AFP

As Trump arrived at the New York County Criminal Court on Monday, where he became the first former president in history to face criminal charges, he was noticeably alone.

Neither his wife nor kids showed up to be by his side – there were, however, a dozen MAGA supporters who put on a small protest across the street from the courthouse.

The absence of Melania, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka sparked a debate on social media, after legal and political analyst Joyce Vance noted that she has "rarely seen" such a thing.

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"It's a sad commentary for a former president with four grown children and a wife, all of whom seem to have deserted him in that moment," Vance added.

The Slovenian-born model's absence comes as no surprise, as she has been evading the public eye ever since her husband announced his re-election campaign, though a return to politics has been hinted at.

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Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walking along the South Lawn during an event at the White House in Washington DC on July 04, 2020.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walking along the South Lawn during an event at the White House in Washington DC on July 04, 2020.  © TASOS KATOPODIS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

As he was leaving the courthouse on Monday, Trump claimed that Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the trial, will not allow him to attend his son Barren's upcoming high school graduation.

The Trumps have regularly used their youngest child as the reason for Melania's absence, arguing that she is more focused on being a mother to the 18-year-old than supporting her husband.

But with the trial centering around money paid by Trump to silence porn star Stormy Daniels about an alleged affair while Melania was pregnant with their youngest son, Barron, speculation over personal issues is rife.

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Former aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff claimed in a social media post that she received a call from Melania days after 60 Minutes aired an interview with Daniels, whom the former first lady apparently referred to as "the 'porn-hooker.'"

In another post, that has since gone viral, Wolkoff shared a photo of Melania sporting a withering expression.

"Believe me, she knows," Wolkoff captioned the pic.

On April 20, Melania is scheduled to host a fundraiser at the Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

Cover photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP

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