Where Is Melania At The 2024 Debate? Trump's Embarrassment Is In Plain Sight

In the wake of Melania Trump's absence from Donald Trump's criminal fraud trial and her distance from the campaign trail, the former first lady has ditched Donald once again — this time at the first presidential debate. Just before 6 p.m. EDT on June 27, Donald arrived in Atlanta, Georgia to prepare for his debate against President Joe Biden. When he stepped off the plane, Melania was notably not by his side. Her latest in a string of noteworthy absences prompted "Where's Melania" to trend on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Melania's failure to support her husband in person during important moments has become commonplace throughout this election season. However, steering clear of the debate seems to speak volumes, especially considering Donald's statement that the public would be seeing her on the campaign trail, per The Hill. "She's going to be out a lot," he said.

Instead, she seems to be providing even more evidence that she wants no part of Donald's 2024 campaign. Author and journalist Kate Andersen Brower told Axios, "She's distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social/political scene," adding that "she clearly hated being in Washington." This latest move may be proof that doesn't want the role of first lady back, whether Donald wins or not. 

While Melania Trump has skipped out on events like Donald Trump's Super Tuesday party, the 2024 election kickoff at the Iowa caucus, and even the day her husband was found guilty of fraud, she hasn't ditched Donald's debates in the past. Melania attended two debates when Donald ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016. She was also present for both of his debates against Joe Biden during the 2020 election. Since Donald's loss in 2020, though, Melania has been increasingly distant from his political life.

In March, Melania joined her husband during the Florida presidential primary. A reporter asked her if she would be joining Donald on the campaign trail, and she replied with a simple, "Stay tuned," per Blast. While this mysterious response seems to hint at a future return to the public eye, the debate certainly says otherwise. Furthermore, on the day of the debate, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told NBC News that it would be  "very surprising if she didn't attend." She added, "While Melania can be scarce for regular campaign events, she knows the importance (and significance) of being supportive as a spouse by attending events such as a presidential debate." 

When word got out that Melania Trump didn't get off the plane with Donald Trump in Atlanta, the news took over X. One viral tweet poked fun at Melania's infamous fashion faux pas, saying, "Where's Melania? I don't really care. Do you?" Another X user wrote, "Where's Melania? Imagine hating your husband so much that you don't even show up for his presidential debate" with a laughing GIF. 

Surprisingly, it was Joe Biden's own tweet that seemed to spark the most commentary. He shared a tweet from his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. The first lady posted a photo of herself and wrote, "My summer plans: heading out on the road to talk to voters about all the great work @joebiden is doing. I'll be posting a lot more going forward. Follow along and let's win this thing!" Joe captioned his retweet, "The best part of the campaign trail is having you by my side, Jilly."

Of course, it's unclear whether Joe really intended to throw any shade at Donald with this post or whether he was simply showing appreciation for his wife. Either way, the comment section certainly drew comparisons to Melania. "Unlike Trump's wife who refuses to be seen in public with him," said one commenter. Another wrote, "How lovely. Where's Melania?" Evidently, if the Trumps want to get the focus off of the former first lady and on to the presidential hopeful, Melania should consider joining him in the future.