07 March 2024 , 08:52
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Donald Trump's wife and former First Lady Melania Trump was not in attendance at the former US president's victory speech after a successful Super Tuesday.
The 77-year-old addressed hundreds of supporters at Mar-a-Lago, their home in Palm Beach, Florida, after securing his third consecutive Republican presidential nomination. Trump and current US President Joe Biden each won California, Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
“This was an amazing night, an amazing day, it’s been an incredible period of time in our country’s history,” Trump said during his victory speech. He added: “They call it Super Tuesday for a reason."
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Donald Trump addressed hundreds of supporters at Mar-a-Lago after securing his third consecutive Republican presidential nomination (Getty Images)Interestingly, Trump's wife Melania appeared not to be in attendance as the former president spoke to supporters at the club’s gilded ballroom. His sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were in attendance, however. Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, was also absent but it's widely known that she has said she would not be playing a big role in her father's political pursuits any more.
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Melania has somewhat tried to keep out of the public eye since leaving the White House in January 2021. She has not been seen at either her husband's rallies or his court appearances.
According to Palm Beach Post, while Melania has not been at the rallies or court appearances, she did accompany her husband last month to the Trumpettes gala, also held at the Palm Beach estate. She has been largely absent from her husband's side for political events since November 2022, when she went with him as they cast their ballots at the Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach. She then went with him as he announced his 2024 campaign at Mar-a-Lago a week later.
Melania had been looking after her mother, Amalija Knavss, who died in early January. Speaking at his New Year's Eve gala, Trump explained his mother-in-law was "very ill" and that Melania was by her side at a hospital in Miami. Melania announced the loss of her mother on X, calling her "a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity."
Melania has been notably absent as Donald Trump has taken to the campaign trail (Getty Images)Following Super Tuesday, Trump's main Republican rival Nikki Haley has suspended her presidential campaign after being defeated across the country. It leaves Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Haley did not endorse the former president in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she challenged him to win the support of the moderate Republicans and independent voters who supported her.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” she said. "At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people.”