After a prolonged absence from the public eye, former First Lady Melania Trump, 52, was seen with former President Donald Trump, 76, at an Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday. This marked her first public appearance with her husband since he was charged with 34 felony counts of business fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
In response to growing speculation about her personal, professional, and political stances, Melania Trump's office issued a warning on Tuesday, urging the public not to believe unfounded claims.
The charges against the former president are related to hush-money payments made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom claim to have had affairs with Trump. Melania did not accompany her husband to New York for his arraignment on April 4, and he neglected to mention her when expressing gratitude to his family for their support that night.
According to a report by Page Six on Monday, Melania's Easter appearance occurred after her husband implored her to stand by him as he seeks a return to the presidency. A friend of the former first lady alleged last week that Melania was "angry" about her husband's arrest and in denial about the nature of their "transactional" marriage.
The statement from Melania Trump's office did not specifically target any news organizations but criticized articles that rely on "unnamed sources" to support their claims.
The office urged readers to "exercise caution and good judgment when determining whether or not stories concerning the former First Lady are accurate, particularly when they fail to cite Mrs. Trump as a source of information." The statement did not mention the former president or his ongoing legal battles.
Trump is scheduled to return to court on December 4 after pleading not guilty to all charges. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the payments and denied having an affair with Daniels, whom he has repeatedly called "Horseface."