Former first lady Melania Trump was noticeably absent from her and husband Donald Trump’s annual Christmas celebrations.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald’s son Donald Jr., shared a family snapshot via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, December 26. The former president, 77, stood in front of a Christmas tree at his Mar-a-Lago resort next to sons Donald Jr., 45, and Barron, 17, and daughters Ivanka, 42, and Tiffany, 30. (Donald shares Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, 39, with late ex-wife Ivana Trump, Tiffany with ex-wife Marla Maples and Barron with Melania.)
Donald was also joined by several of his in-laws, including Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, and their three kids, as well as Tiffany’s spouse, Michael Boulos, and Guilfoyle, 54.
“Surrounded by the unwavering support of family, we always find the motivation to drive change passionately,” Guilfoyle captioned an additional Instagram photo with Donald Jr. and her future father-in-law. “They are a constant source of inspiration, propelling us all forward with love and courage.”
Melania, 53, was missing from all the photos. Multiple outlets subsequently reported that Melania spent the winter holiday in the hospital, tending to her mother, Amalija Knavs, who fell ill. The Trumps have not publicly addressed the reason for Melania’s absence.
Melania and Donald married in 2005 after meeting seven years earlier. She stood by Donald’s side as he transitioned his career from entrepreneurship to politics. Donald served as the U.S. president from 2017 to 2021.
“Life is great and [I’m] keeping it busy. And, you know, time flies fast and … everybody is doing very well,” Melania told Fox News in May 2022 of her life outside of the political sphere. “[I] enjoyed living in the White House. To be first lady of the United States was my greatest honor.”
During the interview, Melania also responded to “unfair” criticism about her role in her husband’s administration, addressing speculation that she was not asked to appear on the cover of Vogue like other first ladies have.
“They’re biased and they have likes and dislikes. And it’s so obvious,” Melania claimed. “And I think American people and everyone see it. It was their decision. And I have much more important things to do and I did in the White House than being on the cover of Vogue.”
She continued: “People I see always criticize me, whatever I do, and I’m used to that. I move forward and I’m here to help people. And that is the mission.”
Donald is currently campaigning for the 2024 presidential election despite facing 91 felony charges in four criminal cases.
