MICHAEL WOLFF: Why does no one dare ask the obvious questions about Donald and Melania Trump's marriage?

White House marriages invariably return connected meanings larger than themselves. They task a group of values, some civilized and political. They supply a consciousness of stability.

We presume they usability successful nan aforesaid ways arsenic our own, pinch bully days and bad – a shared home acquisition that we for illustration to person successful communal pinch our leaders.

Most of nan time, anyway.

For, contempt each its glaring anomalies and strangeness, a media not usually awkward from prying has mostly refrained from asking questions astir nan matrimony of Donald and Melania Trump.

In 2021, erstwhile I was penning my past book astir nan Trump presidency, 'Landslide', I attended a meal connected nan Mar-a-Lago terrace hosted by nan erstwhile president and first lady.

They behaved arsenic though they were nan bride and groom astatine a wedding, each greeting an endless watercourse of well-wishers who approached our array passim nan evening, but without overmuch evident speech aliases moreover familiarity pinch each other.

On Sunday, at Madison Square Garden, conscionable 9 days earlier nan election, Melania made her first, and last, speaking quality connected nan run way for her husband.

After she welcomed him to nan shape successful New York, he gave her a stiff-armed double-cheek aerial kiss. She, it appeared, could not support her look acold capable away.

'It mightiness person been a negotiated appearance,' a personnel of nan Trump soul circle observed to maine this week. 'Doubtful correct up until nan past moment.'

Melania has not, otherwise, successful almost 2 years of progressive campaigning, shown up for her hubby successful immoderate important measurement on nan run trail – a burdensome duty, to beryllium sure, but a basal prerequisite of a governmental wife.

She has only hosted 2 backstage Republican fundraisers. Her quality astatine this summer's Republican National Convention was minimal to opportunity nan least. She arrived connected nan last nighttime and was only seated successful nan VIP container aft her hubby had near it.

After his speech, she appeared connected shape pinch nan remainder of nan Trump clan, greeting him pinch different uncomfortable kiss.

It is arsenic de rigueur for immoderate leader hauled into tribunal to person his woman beside him. Donald Trump has been earlier much courts, arsenic some a criminal and civilian defendant, since his 2024 run began than immoderate leader successful American history. But his woman has ne'er been by his side.

It is wholly imaginable that, alternatively of this being a glaring nationalist rebuke, location could beryllium a kinder mentation here: Melania doing her ain thing, engaged pinch her ain activity and interests.

But it is difficult to judge that mentation erstwhile truthful galore of nan tests Trump has faced person been astir his activity life.

The allegations see intersexual abuse, of course, and an matter pinch a porn prima that's said to person taken spot soon aft Melania gave commencement to their boy Barron. So it is possibly easier to surmise that her refusal to be these tests had much to do pinch maintaining a consciousness of dignity.

And yet, her evident region and clear deficiency of support was, erstwhile again, hardly questioned by nan media. In this, it seems, nan Trumps are granted typical dispensation.

Perhaps specified kid-glove curen has ever been existent of nan rich.

After all, we don't expect their home lives to beryllium for illustration ours. The marriages of nan wealthy, nan pitchy group and nan celebrated are different. On a basal level, they person much existent property and truthful they tin people – sometimes conveniently – support a region from 1 another.

If location is immoderate First Lady who Melania seems to exemplary herself after, it is Jacqueline Kennedy, different beautiful, elusive female whose matrimony was – astatine slightest while JFK was live – not readily discussed.

From nan opening of nan Trump presidency, nan mobility of wherever Melania spends astir of her clip has ne'er been wholly answered.

In 2017, it took astir six months for her to move from her New York flat into nan White House – a startling objection successful nan history of statesmanlike home arrangements.

This was explained astatine nan clip arsenic being for nan use of Barron, who was still successful schoolhouse successful New York City — though nan Trumps would hardly person been nan first statesmanlike mates to person switched their child's schoolhouse mid-year. Washington schools are peculiarly pleased to accommodate a president's children.

Even aft Melania arrived successful Washington, it was ne'er precisely clear really overmuch clip she and Barron spent astatine nan White House – aliases distant from it pinch her parents, who had relocated nearby.

Similarly, successful nan years since nan Trump presidency, Melania's beingness astatine Mar-a-Lago has often seemed to beryllium much 'event' than commonplace.

One Trump insider who is often pinch nan erstwhile president astatine Mar-a-Lago, precocious told maine that Melania seems to beryllium treated much for illustration a impermanent there.

And now, arsenic nan imaginable looms of a 2nd go-round successful nan White House for The Donald, Melania is said erstwhile again to beryllium expressing reservations astir life successful Washington. It has been claimed that she feels it will beryllium important for her to beryllium adjacent her now college-aged son, attending New York University.

Quietly, nan Trump squad is said to beryllium trying retired a caller nomenclature: 'part-time first lady'.

Does it matter? Should it matter? Do we person nan correct to know?

As acold arsenic his supporters are concerned, nan image of nan Trump matrimony – that he is charismatic and virile capable to person a beautiful model, a quarter-century younger, connected his limb – is different portion of nan Trump mythology that they would alternatively time off undisturbed.