Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire 
UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
U.S. Repatriation Flight Carrying 266 Venezuelan Migrants Lands in Caracas 
U.S. Defense Chief Pete Hegseth Defends Controversial Second Strike on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel 
China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan 
The Mona Lisa is a vampire 
How Marvel’s Fantastic Four discovered the human in the superhuman 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
Israel Receives Body of Deceased Hostage as Rafah Crossing Reopening Hinges on Final Returns 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
Google and NBCUniversal Strike Multi-Year Deal to Keep NBC Shows on YouTube TV 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Trump Threatens Legal Action Against Disney’s ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel’s Return 
FCC Chair Brendan Carr to Face Senate Oversight After Controversy Over Jimmy Kimmel Show 
Oscars 2025: who will likely win, who should win, and who barely deserves to be there 
With the elections in November a month from now, both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden have ramped up their campaigns, with the first of their three debates having just occurred this week. Even though first lady Melania Trump is known for staying out of the campaign trails, her role in her husband’s reelection efforts is as important now as ever.
Melania hardly speaks for her husband on the campaign trail, choosing to focus on her Be Best initiative and parenting their son Barron Trump. The only time she has made a case for Donald Trump is during the Republican National Convention, but her presence remains important to the Trump campaign. Patrick Basham of the Democracy Institute revealed why Melania is an asset to the campaign. Basham explained that the first lady changes the way voters perceive her husband, especially as she is someone in Trump’s inner circle.
“Melania Trump is an asset to Trump on the campaign trail because she is popular with his base voters and she helps to humanize him in the eyes of average voters,” said Basham, who then added that Melania has also had her fair share of critics from Democrats whilst being popular among her fellow Republicans and Conservatives. Basham also noted the stark difference of coverage she is given by the media compared to her predecessor Michelle Obama.
However, despite Melania’s popularity among members of the Republican party, she is not thought of as the most effective within the Trump administration. Rather, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump, is the one thought to have had more accomplishments since taking on the advisory role in the White House. This is also compared to Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who often speaks for his father in campaign events.
Meanwhile, Melania was present during the first presidential debate, and prior to the proceedings, the first lady joined the other Trump women to show their support for Trump, appearing in a photo taken by her stepson Eric Trump’s wife, Lara Trump. The photo was posted by Ivanka on social media, featuring Melania, Lara, Ivanka, and her other step-daughter Tiffany Trump.
All four women were wearing face masks but were seen without masks during the actual debate. The first lady is not known for appearing in casual photos, nor is she often seen posing alongside her step-daughters. This caused a stir among their supporters on social media.
