For the most part, Donald Trump has been relatively M.I.A. since he left the White
House in January. Though he has allegedly claimed to a number of people that he expects
he will be reinstated as president by August, the former president has been laying low in Florida.
According to Bloomberg, Trump has made Mar-a-Lago his "Fortress of Solitude,"
as he uses the country club as his power base for his post-presidential life. Joe Budd,
a Palm Beach County Republican, told the publication in June:
"He's doing what somebody of his age and success probably should be doing at this stage of life:
enjoying himself, playing some golf. I think falling into that
role is something he's going to find satisfying."
As it turns out, Trump and his wife really are living life a little differently at
Mar-a-Lago. Donald and Melania are reportedly "treated like zoo animals" at Mar-a-Lago
because they sit by themselves at a "roped off table" in the restaurant.
According to Michael Wolff's new book Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency,
the couple receives a standing ovation when they arrive for dinner and greet their
friends and well-wishers, as though they are a "newly married couple" on their wedding night.
And it's not just the guests who pay attention when the Trumps show up for dinner.
The kitchen staff is expected to give a presidential level of attention to
the former first couple's diets — and you better believe that's a lot of pressure.
Melania, for one, adheres to a strict, health-focused meal plan. She tries to
eat seven different fruits and vegetables a day, and if you scroll through her Twitter,
you'll find countless photos of her healthy breakfasts, mostly fruit bowls and smoothies.
She likely follows a similar diet at Mar-a-Lago, which might be a bit of a headache for the
resort's chefs — especially considering how different her diet is from her husband's. In his
2004 book, Think Like a Billionaire, Donald Trump breaks down the secrets of his diet, writing:
"We call it the Mar-a-Lago Diet. If I didn't adhere to it from time to time,
my waistline would be an absolute disaster."
The so-called "Mar-a-Lago Diet" isn't all that nuanced. The idea is to stay away from
highly processed foods and focus on healthy fats. That's all well and good, of course,
but it's probably fair to say that Donald has been known to stray from the diet on occasion.
Meanwhile, the former first couple has been living in the Florida resort since Trump left the White
House in January. However, their relationship has been called into question since there have been
reports that Melania is acting "bitter and chilly" towards her husband. Despite the fact that they
often dine together, it's also unclear if they even live together. Wolff explained in his book:
"Maybe Melania lives here. For four years in the White House,
it was never quite clear how much time she was spending at the White House."
Wolff's statement echoes that of a source who told CNN that
the former first lady is rarely seen at Mar-a-Lago. They revealed:
"She's not a presence at Mar-a-Lago at all.
She's not mingling with people and rarely interacts with her husband's staff."
So it seems that Melania Trump is as elusive a figure at Mar-a-Lago,
as she was at the White House. While Donald Trump might enjoy a standing ovation upon
entering the dining room, that's never been her style. During her time as first lady, she
made the unusual decision to avoid public life, as much as the first lady can. Traditionally,
first ladies choose a social issue to focus their efforts on during their time in the white house.
Michelle Obama chose to combat childhood obesity, and Nancy Reagan famously fought a war on drugs.
"Laura Bush's was child literacy, and Melania's is 'the overall well-being of children.'"
Melania chose to half-heartedly launch the "Be Best" campaign
to combat cyberbullying, but that one never really got off the ground. Chances are she's
much happier staying more under the radar at Mar-a-Lago than she ever was at the White House.
When she isn't delighting guests with a dinner appearance, she's likely holed up in the large
suite she reportedly shares with her husband. She is also said to enjoy frequent trips to the spa,
having been known to go twice a day. Anything to while away the hours, right?
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