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SARAH VINE: Melania was a model of icy self-control in killer heels
Compare and contrast the Melania Trump who nervously greeted the Obamas in January 2017, with the seasoned professional we witnessed in action yesterday.
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Compare and contrast the Melania Trump who nervously greeted the Obamas in January 2017, the first time her husband was sworn in as President, with the seasoned professional we witnessed in action yesterday.
Back then, she handed Michelle Obama a gift in a Tiffany blue box, which the outgoing First Lady somewhat mortifyingly set to one side. Arriving at the White House yesterday afternoon, there was no such attempt to curry favour with Mrs Biden: just impeccable poise and a sharp three-quarter-length navy coat, killer heels and matching boater, which made her look like a cross between a dominatrix and a Norland Nanny.
Taking her place in the Capitol alongside her 18-year-old son Barron, his somewhat vampiric complexion in stark contrast to her expensively honeyed tones, her eyes remained hidden beneath the brim of her hat.
As her husband approached for a kiss, it seemed to act as a kind of millinery forcefield, preventing his pursed lips from grazing her cheek. The hat remained in place throughout the ceremony, thus deterring any further attempt at affection ā and shielding her from the public gaze. The newly anointed leader of the Free World had to content himself with a gentle squeeze of the shoulder.
You can never tell with Mrs Trump whether her apparent froideur is intentional, or merely a function of her penchant for perfection, apparent in every aspect of her appearance. Certainly, in a room full of messy, effusive Americans, she stands out for her poise and self-control.
But there's no doubt she can come across as aloof, to put it mildly. I met her once, very briefly, back in 2019, during President Trump's state visit to the UK. One of the many advantages of being married to a government minister was getting the occasional dazzling plus-one, on this case an invitation to the state banquet in the President's honour at Buckingham Palace, in the presence of the late Queen.
It was a memorable evening for all sorts of reasons ā chiefly the extraordinary privilege of being inches from the monarch, in her crystal-embellished white gown, diamonds and rubies.
After dinner we were ushered into a small salon, where The Donald himself, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, together with various members of their entourage, were holding their own court. The future King Charles was listening intently. Mrs Trump was off to one side, talking to the wife of the American ambassador, whom I vaguely knew, and so, emboldened by the excellent Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1990 served at dinner, I approached. She was resplendent in white custom Dior, her hair darker than it is now, cat eyes gimlet-like above those razor-sharp Slavic cheekbones.
Melania Trump was much funnier and cooler than I had expected, and I realised then that she was no mere arm candy, writes Sarah Vine
President Donald Trump with wife Melania walk hand-in-hand at his inauguration at the US Capitol building in WashingtonĀ
I introduced myself, and we got chatting. Observing my husband's kilt, we speculated that perhaps next time, her husband, being of Scottish heritage, should also attempt the tartan.
I said how much I liked her dress, and cracked a joke at my own expense, and she laughed, a proper, genuine laugh. She was much funnier and cooler than I had expected, and I realised then that she was no mere arm candy.
One thing that struck me was that her English really isn't that good. I've often wondered whether that has something to do with her aloofness. I asked her how she was enjoying staying at the magnificent ambassador's residence in Regent's Park, with its beautiful gardens. A look of mischief crossed her face.
'Ah, yes,' she said, 'the gardens. I am told they are very beautiful. But you know Donald, how he is. He say, why land helicopter at RAF when residence has big garden? So, we land there. And gardens . . .' she gestured with her long, manicured nails and made a chopping sound like a helicopter '. . . suddenly not so beautiful.'
Melania Trump nervously greets the Obamas in January 2017, the first time her husband was sworn in as President
After Trump lost to Biden in 2020, many observers expected Mrs Trump to jump ship. Instead, not only has she remained married, she also seems to have doubled down, fully supporting his second bid ā and even, it was alleged by Vanity Fair magazine, cannily renegotiating her prenup in case his legal woes ended up affecting his finances.
But then that is hardly surprising: in her own way she is as ambitious and calculating as he is. 'Transactional' is the buzzword for Donald Trump's second term, with the President's supporters praising his ability to push through a deal even in the most hostile of circumstances.
It's his USP. Even his detractors acknowledge his punchy approach, which often sees him executing U-turns ā TikTok, Bitcoin ā which would cause serious embarrassment to anyone else. He's the opposite of a conviction politician, a pure and unapologetic opportunist which, in a world riven by dogma and ideological stalemates, may not be such a bad thing. He's willing to deal with pretty much anyone, provided there's a quid pro quo.
His wife, America's First Lady, has always seemed to mirror that approach, albeit in a much less effusive manner. Sphinx-like, she appears at his side whenever the occasion demands it but is notably absent on a day-to-day basis. Over the years, this has led to speculation about the true nature of their relationship, whether it constitutes a 'real' marriage in the romantic sense or whether, indeed, there is a more transactional element to it.
The implication is that theirs is a marriage of convenience, based not so much on anything so unquantifiable as love, more on measurable mutual benefits.
Why that should be an issue ā or indeed surprising ā is beyond me: Melania is not the first beautiful woman to marry a rich, powerful, older man, nor will she be the last. As Mrs Merton (aka the late comedian Caroline Aherne) once famously might have said: 'So, Melania, what first drew you to the billionaire Donald?' And besides: aren't all relationships fundamentally transactional, whether the participants like to admit it or not? If both parties are satisfied with the arrangement, what's the problem?
Still, there is a perception that were it not for his money, Mrs Trump would have checked out long ago, especially after all his misdemeanours, small and large, plus the whole Stormy Daniels affair, have been raked over so comprehensively. Why would any self-respecting woman stick around such a cad, if not for profit?
On that basis it might not have been the best idea for the First Lady to launch her own cryptocurrency the Sunday before her husband's inauguration. The idea that you can somehow purchase a slice of Melania for around $10 will only invite more nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
That's one way of looking at it. Alternatively, you could see it as a sassy move. Because the notion that Melania Trump gives the slightest thought to what the world thinks of her is for the birds.
I'm not sure she even cares what The Donald thinks of her, as evidenced by a recent interview in which she said: 'Some people, they see me as just the wife of the president, but 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 OK.'
Compared to the usual trad-wife guff spouted by most political spouses, this is encouraging. Indeed, one might even argue that Trump's 20-year marriage to a woman of such strong character reflects rather well on him.
She's also working on a documentary for Amazon Prime, for which she is executive producer, detailing her return to the White House. Filming began last December, and the show is expected to air in the second half of 2025.
Again, it's another example of the Trumps' can-do approach: during his first presidency, Mr Trump was highly critical of Amazon's Jeff Bezos, who also owns the centre-Left Washington Post. This time round, having secured a $1 million donation from Bezos, it seems they're all best friends ā so much so that Mrs Trump is inviting the cameras into the White House.
Whether the documentary will offer any real insights into the character of the new First Lady remains to be seen. She may prefer to wear her metaphorical hat and keep us all at arm's length. Either way, we're in for an interesting time.
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