Is Donald Trump A Part Of Melania's Inner Circle?

In the months since the end of Trump's presidency, the 45th first lady has been busy building a new life for herself, and it would appear that her husband is playing a minor role in it. As she forms new connections and follows dreams of her own, many are left wondering if Donald Trump is in Melania's so-called "inner circle." The pair remain married, but may not actually be spending that much time together. 

Melania took a break from the spotlight after moving out of the White House, entering a period of relative public silence. But shortly before Christmas, she returned to the spotlight and announced an interesting new venture — non-fungible tokens. Per CNN, her first foray into the world of blockchains came in the form of a watercolor painting of herself with a sound clip of her voice. The NFT, entitled "Melania's Vision," is the work of French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon, and was sold through December 31 via the cryptocurrency Solana for roughly $175. Along with her new public life working in NFTs, Melania has also been busy building her own social circle that rarely includes her husband and she seems happy despite the time apart. 

Speaking with People, a source close to the former first lady shared Melania and Trump grab drinks with friends and plan to celebrate their anniversary together, but otherwise usually spend their time apart. "Melania appears vibrant, happy and confident, and seems to have found her own interests away from the spotlight," the source said. 

Even if Donald and Melania Trump spend little time together these days, they get along well, despite having very different personalities and goals, People reported. Another source shared that Melania's inner circle mainly consists of her sister and her parents these days. "She knows what Donald wants from her, but the rest of her life is dictated by her own interests. Each has come to respect what the other wants and needs," a source said. As further proof of the divide between hers and Donald's lives, Melania reportedly wasn't at the former president's 75th birthday celebration in June. Instead, she was in New York City with their son, Barron, whose schooling takes up much of her focus, per South China Morning Post. 

Wanting a bit of space is nothing new for Melania, though. Throughout Trump's presidency, she and the POTUS slept in separate suites in the White House, per The New York Times. Donald chose to remain in the White House master suite on the second floor, while Melania stayed in the same two-room suite on the third floor that Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, occupied during the previous administration. 

Overall, it seems that Melania simply likes to do her own thing, and there's nothing wrong with that.