US First Lady Melania Trump has returned to the public spotlight after a month-long absence, joking about the intense media attention surrounding her low public profile.
“Good afternoon. I heard you missed me. Here I am,” Melania said with a chuckle on Thursday as she opened an event in the White House Rose Garden.
Melania and President Donald Trump held hands as they walked from the Oval Office to the podium, while the president later sat among guests as she delivered her remarks.
The event was organised to mark a donation from IndyCar and Fox Corporation to support university scholarships, ahead of an IndyCar race through the streets of Washington, D.C., as part of celebrations for America’s 250th Independence anniversary.
However, much of the attention was focused on Melania, 56, who had not been seen publicly since attending the FIFA World Cup final on July 19.
The first lady had also skipped several high-profile events, including the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24. She had attended the original event in April, which was disrupted by a gunman.
An NBC analysis published earlier this week found that Melania has maintained a significantly lower public profile during President Trump’s second term, appearing at roughly half as many public events as she did at a comparable point during his first term.
Her return also comes amid renewed scrutiny surrounding Natalie Harp, 35, a close aide to President Trump who has become a near-constant presence around him during his second administration.
The White House strongly criticised questions raised by a Democratic Senate candidate over why Harp was among a small group of people who secretly switched flights with Trump from Air Force One in Turkey following a security threat.
Harp, who has reportedly assisted Trump by typing social media posts and printing information for him, has gained attention for her close proximity to the president and has been nicknamed the “human printer.”
Melania’s appearance on Thursday appeared to put to rest, at least temporarily, speculation over her prolonged absence as she resumed a public role alongside her husband.
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