When Donald Trump was spotted entering his Trump Tower building in New York on Monday evening and emerging again on Tuesday to face criminal charges in a Manhattan court, he cut a solitary figure, a historic low for a former US president.

And, as he returned to Florida on his private aircraft after pleading not guilty to 34 charges accusing him of concealing hush-money payments to an adult film star and an ex-Playboy model while married, the lady to whom he was then (and is now) married, Melania Trump, was not present.

People began to worry, “Where is Melania?” On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump gathered supporters and family members in his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach. He made a rambling but defiant speech, part tirade against his indictment, part thanks to his family. Melania, on the other hand, was neither discussed nor seen.

“I built a great business with my family, a fantastic business,” Trump told the crowd as his family and Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, sat in the front row.

Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, his oldest kids, were present, as was Tiffany Trump, his daughter with his second wife, Marla Maples. Ivanka Trump, Trump’s other daughter, was not present, having distanced herself from her father’s 2024 presidential campaign and her stint as a principal advisor in his White House. Neither was Barron Trump, Trump’s only child with Melania. However, all of the offspring were mentioned.

“I have a son here who has done a fantastic job, and I have another son here who has done a fantastic job,” Trump remarked, referring to his sons Eric and Donald Jr, before adding, “And Tiffany and Ivanka.” And Barron will be fantastic one day. He is tall and he is intelligent.

“But I have a wonderful family, and they have done an outstanding job, which we greatly appreciate.” “They’ve been through hell,” he continued.

Melania is conspicuously absent from the family portrait.

On Tuesday afternoon, there were a few claims that Melania was spotted in New York, maybe on her way to join her husband at Trump Tower, but a photograph claiming to catch the moment proved inconclusive. No verification or confirmation was ever provided, and no additional evidence of Melania being publicly seen in New York or Palm Beach emerged.

Melania was “leading her own life, and still feels happy being at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by people who love her and never talk about reality, or bad things about her husband,” a source told People last month.

Nonetheless, Melania “remains unhappy” about her husband’s extramarital affairs, according to the source, adding that she “doesn’t want to hear [the alleged hush money payment] mentioned… She is aware of who her husband is and maintains a positive outlook on life with her own family and a few close friends.”

Trump is accused of falsifying business records in a conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by quashing claims of a sexual encounter with adult film star Stormy Daniels. He is also accused of paying hush money to a former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, over an affair. Trump has denied having experiences with either of the women.

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