In a telling break with longstanding tradition, First Lady Melania Trump arrived at tonight’s State of the Union address separately from the President.
Whereas previous presidents, including Obama and George W. Bush, opted to walk together with their wives into the same limo to go to the State of the Union addresses for all eight years, Melania’s decision to ride with her invited guests instead of her husband speaks volumes.
“In addition to holding a White House reception and photo opportunity for them, along with their friends and family, [Melania] is accompanying them to the Capitol,” Melania’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. “Once there, the first lady and Mrs. Pence will host a more intimate meet-and-greet to engage with them on a personal level prior to the speech”
The move comes amid the bombshell news that Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf.
Melania was reportedly “furious with her husband,” per two sources close to the couple. As a result of the story, Melania has opted to keep “a low profile.”
This is not the only recent instance in which the First Lady has signaled her displeasure with her husband. Last week, CNN revealed that Melania would not join Trump as he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
While Melania’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, initially suggested that the First Lady would attend the forum in a “show of support for her husband,” Grisham then claimed that she had to skip the trip over “scheduling and logistical issues.”
The timing, of course, was suspect given the release of the stunning In Touch Magazine interview, in which Daniels claimed that Trump had an affair with her in 2005 shortly after Melania gave birth to their child.
“I actually don’t even know why I did it, but I do remember while we were having sex, I was like, ‘Please, don’t try to pay me,’” Daniels told the magazine.
“We hung out for a little while, and he just kept saying, ‘I’m gonna call you, I’m gonna call you. I have to see you again. You’re amazing. We have to get you on The Apprentice,’” she added.
Trump, for his part, has been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by 19 women. He has neither confessed to these crimes nor taken any degree of responsibility for them. Even in the face of damning evidence – such as the Access Hollywood tapes – the President has refused to address the issue.
Trump’s sordid past with women is well documented, and is finally beginning to catch up with him. While Melania was already visibly cold towards her husband, tonight’s break with tradition is certain to humiliate Trump after an already dismal first year in office.
Follow Brian Tyler Cohen on Facebook and Twitter.
