After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump has been conspicuous by her absence. Many are wondering where she is.
But Melania Trump's avoidance of the spotlight is not unusual – it may be part of her long-term strategy, according to an expert.
On Monday, the Republican convention began, where Donald Trump will officially be elected as the party's presidential candidate. He appeared with a bandaged ear, two days after surviving an assassination attempt.
But Melania Trump was not by the former president's side. She was not seen at the campaign meeting where the shots were fired, nor at the hospital after the attack when the Secret Service wiped blood from Donald Trump's face.
Quarrel?
On social media, speculation is rife. What is Melania doing? Why is she not seen by her husband's side? Do the couple have problems, or is Melania Trump's lack of political interest causing her to keep a low profile?
She is not expected to speak during the convention, which is usually done by the presidential candidate's wife. However, it is said that she will attend the meeting and is expected to appear when her husband is formally nominated as the presidential candidate on Thursday.
Many are underestimating Melania Trump, according to Mary Jordan, deputy editor at the Washington Post and author of a book about the USA's former first lady.
"Melania Trump knows what she's doing and how she wants it. She doesn't like to speak in public. At the same time, she's fully aware that if she keeps a low profile, people will listen more carefully when she does step into the spotlight," Jordan writes in an analysis in Washington Post.
And when it's necessary, Melania Trump uses her power.
After the assassination attempt on her husband, she commented on the event on X in a post seen by over 30 million users.
"When I saw the bullet hit my husband, Donald, I realized that my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of a devastating change", she wrote, among other things.
Rare Interview
Another example is when Melania Trump gave a rare TV interview to CNN in 2016 and downplayed a recording where Trump spoke derogatorily and sexually aggressively about women. She called him a "gentleman" and a champion of women's rights.
She is also said to be the brains behind Trump's response in the scandal, when he dismissed his statements as "locker room talk", according to Jordan.
"Melania Trump thinks long-term and doesn't do anything hastily. It may be wiser to think less about where she is right now and more about what she plans as her next step", Jordan writes in her analysis.
