Melania Trump has opted out of showing support for Donald Trump at the president’s midterm convention, according to a report.
A White House official told the Washington Examiner that the first lady has no intention of attending the event in Dallas next week, which Trump will headline in an attempt to give the GOP a much-needed boost ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.
Melania’s absence is the latest humiliation for Trump surrounding his midterm convention, with dozens of Republican lawmakers already confirming that they will not be attending and citing an array of excuses.
Melania not joining her husband for the two-day televised event is also another example of the first lady largely being absent from public life and not even attempting to carry out duties associated with her White House position.
Melania is often missing for weeks at a time during Trump’s second term, with a Daily Beast analysis from early August revealing that she had been seen publicly on only 38 days of the year so far. As of Sept. 4, she has made only 40 public appearances.
Her last public appearance was at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race on the streets of Washington, on August 23.
Last month, the White House convinced Melania to give a speech in the Rose Garden to discuss expanding her Fostering the Future Initiative. At the time, it was her first appearance alongside Trump since attending the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19.
Melania was also wheeled out in public for the Rose Garden event amid growing media furor and speculation about Trump and Natalie Harp, the president’s favorite White House aide, who earns $150,000 a year as an executive assistant.
“I heard you missed me. Here I am,” Melania joked with reporters in the White House Rose Garden on Aug. 20.
Other high-profile events Melania did not attend this year included the rearranged White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24 and the funeral for Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, on July 28.
Unfortunately for Trump, Melania is not the only one who has bailed on the president’s midterm convention next week.
Multiple GOP lawmakers have said they will not attend the event, with scores more still undecided. Republicans have given multiple reasons for their absence, including deciding they would be better off remaining in their districts to campaign ahead of the crucial run-up to the midterms and concerns about the eye-watering $25,000 entrance fee.
Others believe it would be better to distance themselves from the deeply unpopular president to boost their election hopes.
One House Republican told Politico they are not attending the event because it will be a “waste of time,” as it will only interest the president’s base.
“You shouldn’t be having to rally your base at this point,” the House Republican told Politico. “You should be trying to convince independents. Independents are not attending nor watching the midterm convention.”
An unfortunate scheduling issue also means the event could be a ratings dud. Both nights of the Sept. 9-10 convention will coincide with the first two games of the NFL season, which are guaranteed to draw a bigger audience than hours of speeches.
Sensing a potential flop, Trump made the desperate move to headline both nights of the midterm convention, after originally being scheduled to appear on only one, in an attempt to give the event a bigger draw.
“President Trump wants to set the tone for the entire convention,” a party official told Reuters about the plan.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the first lady’s office for comment.
