First Lady Melania Trump made her first solo appearance of Donald Trump’s second term on Monday, but the MAGA faithful who tuned into Fox News’ daytime programming heard less than half of her brief remarks.
Melania read a prepared statement from Capitol Hill in support of the “Take It Down Act,” a bill hoping to crack down on revenge pornography, but her husband’s go-to news network yanked its live coverage while she was still speaking.
Fox News instead pivoted to a pair of previews—for a segment with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) about a bill banning trans athletes from women’s sports, and a non-breaking update about the mystery death of actor Gene Hackman.
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It appears the president may have been watching his wife get snubbed by the network. He posted a Fox News link to Truth Social and wrote, “Watching our First Lady now, great job!”
Melania spoke for a little under six minutes in total at the roundtable, spotlighting the experience of 15-year-old Elliston Berry, whose face was superimposed onto explicit AI-generated images without her consent.
“They used her likeness in pornographic content solely to humiliate her,” Trump said firmly.
But Fox carried only two minutes of her remarks—coming in late, then pulling its coverage as she thanked people like the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ted Cruz, who was sitting next to her, and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
“I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar united on this fundamental matter,” she said. “However, I expected to see more Democratic leaders here today to address this serious issue. Surely, as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
Melania has been largely MIA during her second White House stint. She was by her husband’s side much of Inauguration Day, and attended a trio of balls with him that night, but had so far not spoken publicly since MAGA 2.0 officially kicked off.
The first lady traveled with Trump on Jan. 24 to tour a Hurricane Helene disaster site in North Carolina and, later that day, to survey wildfire damage in California. Besides that, however, she has been out of the public eye.
Her last comments came way back on Jan. 15 on Fox News. There, she discussed what would be different about her second White House stint, claiming the Biden administration made for a smoother transition than Barack Obama’s team. She added she would spend the majority of her time in Washington these next four years—but sources told People last week she has actually spent more time at Mar-a-Lago so far.
“I will be in the White House,” Melania said in January. “And you know when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach. But my first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on January 20, you serve the country.”
While Melania has been quiet, her office has not been totally silent. It released a statement last month announcing the return of public White House tours.
The first lady’s comments Monday were a continuation of her “Be Best” anti-cyberbullying platform that dates back to the first Trump term. She made mention of Be Best’s return on Monday, but that bit did not make it into the sliver of her remarks that aired on Fox News.
“As first lady, my commitment to the Be Best initiative underscores the importance of online safety in an era where digital interactions are integral to daily life,” she said. “It is imperative to safeguard child from mean-spirited and hurtful online behavior.”
