On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was arraigned on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments sent to at least two women prior to the 2016 presidential election. It’s the first time in US history that a former President has been indicted on criminal charges – marking an unfortunate, yet historic day.
In the hours following his arraignment, Trump gathered reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and thanked his children for their continued love and support throughout the investigation – which he feels is more of a ‘persecution’ than an ‘investigation.’ Trump immediately pleaded not guilty to the charges.
'The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.'
— GB News (@GBNEWS) April 5, 2023
In case you missed it, here are the best bits from Donald Trump's speech in Mar-a-Lago, following his court appearance where he was charged with 34 criminal charges. pic.twitter.com/HR0pZGqzrJ
“I have a son here who’s done a great job and I have another son here who’s done a great job; and Tiffany, and Ivanka. And Baron will be great someday. He’s tall and smart. But I have a great family and they’ve done a fantastic job and we appreciate it very much,” Trump said, naming all five of his children.
While he wasted no time in thanking his five children, there’s one person Donald Trump failed to thank in his speech – his wife, Melania Trump. There has been an ongoing rift between the former President and former First Lady ever since these allegations came to light and it appears that rift isn’t going anywhere.
Donald Trump and Melanie Trump (née Knauss) met in 1998, while the former was finalizing his divorce from Marla Maples. That divorce was finalized in 1999 and the couple continued to date until announcing their engagement in 2004. They tied the knot on January 22, 2005 in a church in Palm Beach, Florida.
A little over a year later – on March 20, 2006 – Melania gave birth to the couple’s first and only child, a son named Barron Trump. It was just months later that Donald Trump had his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, which ultimately led to him making a $130,000 hush money payment in 2016.
Donald Trump also shares three children with his ex-wife Ivana Trump – Donald Trump Jr., 45, Eric Trump, 39, and Ivanka Trump, 41 – and one child with his ex-wife Marla Maples – Tiffany Trump, 29. While all five of those children were included in Trump’s speech on Tuesday night, Melania wasn’t.
Melania Trump is Reportedly Angry at Donald Trump
Ever since Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, he and his wife have resided at their Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. While they continue to live together, it was recently reported that they live in separate quarters and don’t spend a lot of time together – with the exception of a few dinners and events.
One source close to the family stated that Melania spends most of her time with her son, Barron, and her parents – who also live in Mar-a-Lago. She seems content with ‘leading her own life’ and prefers to be surrounded by people that love and respect her. She also doesn’t feel the need to talk about her husband.
The source also confirmed she doesn’t sympathize with Donald and his criminal allegations. “She remains angry and doesn’t want to hear [the alleged hush money payment] mentioned. She is aware of who her husband is and keeps her life upbeat with her own family and a few close friends,” the source said.
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With that said, she’s a devoted mother and has been touted as being very protective of Barron – who recently celebrated his 17th birthday. She treats Barron as her first priority and is proud of the man he’s growing up to be. Melania has yet to address her husband’s charges and that likely won’t change.