WASHINGTON (AP) – Melania Trump came armed with surefire applause lines when she stepped up to address a largely female audience that had gathered to celebrate other women.
The first lady showcased the record number of women serving in Congress. She said women’s unemployment had hit its lowest level in 65 years, though it has since ticked up slightly. And she highlighted the more than 2 million women who have joined the workforce since November 2016, when her husband was elected president.
“This is something to celebrate,” Mrs. Trump declared at Thursday’s State Department event, where many of her lines easily could have fit into a campaign stump speech.
But as President Donald Trump shows his eagerness for the coming 2020 re-election battle, less clear is Mrs. Trump’s fervor for joining the effort. She largely avoided the campaign trail in 2016, citing her desire to be home for the couple’s young son, Barron, now 12. And spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham predicted that once again, Mrs. Trump “is going to want to be home for her son, no matter his age.”
People in Trump’s political orbit, for their part, are skeptical that one of the most private first ladies in modern history would want to take on a big public role in her husband’s bid to win another four years in office.