What is Donald Trump's life away from politics going to look like? And what is Melania Trump
going to do with her time now that she's no longer first lady? Here's the truth about
this former first couple's life post-presidency.
A lot of presidents and first ladies remove themselves from the public eye in the immediate
aftermath of their time in Washington, but Melania might not ever return to the spotlight.
As noted by Express, the former first lady apparently has no interest in returning to
public life, and one "society publicist" implied to the publication that she shouldn't. He
added,
"Melania will disappear. There's not going to be any Instagram posts or Twitter posts,
you're not going to see it."
"You will be in my thoughts and prayers. God bless you all."
So why the sudden shift? After all, Melania hasn't shied away from the spotlight, the
cameras, or the magazine covers throughout her career. According to the same publicist,
she'll be busy focusing on her new life as a "homemaker."
Of course, Melania kept a low profile in her last days in the White House, presumably in
part because of the insurrection at the Capitol. She also left the White House with one of
the lowest approval ratings in modern first lady history. According to CNN, she had up
to a 47 percent unfavorable rating, a significantly higher number than the average percentage
for first ladies, 23 percent. Looks like we won't be seeing her any time soon.
Donald made history as president by being the only occupant of the Oval Office to be
impeached twice. And even though he has left office, he will be facing an impeachment trial
in his post-presidency life.
"Have a good life. We will see you soon."
According to the Associated Press, House Democrats delivered the articles of impeachment to the
Senate on January 25th, 2021, charging the former president with "incitement of insurrection."
The articles of impeachment were drafted shortly after the violence at the Capitol building
took place on January 6th, with many Democrats pointing to Trump's speech prior to the attack
as a motivator to those in attendance.
Donald's trial in the Senate will reportedly begin on February 8th, 2021, and will be a
real test for Republican party members to either disavow Trump or support him. President
Joe Biden weighed in on the impeachment trial, telling CNN that the trial, quote, "has to
happen" and that "a worse effect" would be a guarantee if it didn't.
Melania has been seen swatting her husband's hand away more than a few times on camera.
But she saved her best snub for last — as she departed the plane that brought her and
Donald to Florida after leaving Washington, D.C., she left Donald by himself to face the
cameras and quickly strutted away from him. It was quite the moment.
The political group The Lincoln Project described her snub on Twitter as, quote, "if 'I'm over
it' were a person." The sentiment definitely appears that way.
But according to The Guardian, Melania's "over it" walk could also be an indication that
her marriage is in for a rough patch. We're not sure what will happen to Melania and Donald's
relationship in his life post-presidency, but if that video is any indication, it looks
like Melania will be marching to the beat of her own drum — and certainly won't be
waiting for Donald to join her.
Leave it to Donald to try to replicate his presidential position when he's no longer
president.
"And they say we lost. We didn't lose."
According to Business Insider, he opened his "Office of the Former President" in the days
that followed his departure from the White House and sent out a statement to members
of the press — perhaps because he's banned from most social media platforms. The statement
read:
"Today, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump formally opened the Office
of the Former President. The Office will be responsible for managing President Trump's
correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests
of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy,
organizing, and public activism."
Of course, Donald no longer has the power of the White House behind him, so it's hard
to say exactly what he'll get done through his new office.
There was some speculation as to where Donald and Melania would relocate after leaving the
White House. Manhattan seemed out of the question, so the couple settled on the Mar-a-Lago estate
in Florida. But for some locals, the decision isn't sitting super well. One senior advisor
to Trump during his 2016 campaign in Florida told the Miami Herald,
"The president will unfortunately encounter both love and hate when he returns to Florida."
And he isn't the only Trump that's joining the Florida area. Donald's daughter Ivanka
Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, purchased a lot on Florida's Indian Creek island. So
it looks like Florida is going to have to put up with the Trumps for a while. The chairman
of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County told the publication,
"We just want to give him a big homecoming and let him know he has family and friends
here in the Republican Party in Palm Beach County who supported him through his presidency
and two presidential campaigns. We'd rather have him in Washington, but we're very happy
to have him home, too."
While in office, Donald enjoyed immunity from legal cases. But now that he's left the White
House, he no longer has such protections, and his post-presidency life could see a lot
of legal battles. According to The Guardian,
"Prosecutors in at least three jurisdictions are either weighing or actively pursuing criminal
cases against him, and a fourth prosecutor is investigating allegedly fraudulent business
practices inside the Trump Organization."
Here are some details you need to know. The New York state attorney general, Letitia James,
has been conducting a civil investigation into the Trump Organization. The Manhattan
district attorney, Cyrus Vance, said that his office has been engaging in a "complex
criminal investigation" into Donald's businesses. And to top it off, Donald is facing a defamation
lawsuit filed by E Jean Carroll, a writer who alleged that he assaulted her in the 1990s.
"The minute he closed that door I was banged up against the wall… he slammed you against
the wall… yeah, I hit my head really hard."
Donald's defense? Carroll is, quote, "not [his] type," as he said during an interview
in 2019.
While Melania retreats from the public eye in the aftermath of her husband's presidency,
it's likely that she'll start focusing on plans for his presidential library, according
to The Washington Post. Melania is, quote, "expected to be involved in the site selection,
planning and design of the Trump presidential library, which probably will be located in
Florida."
Seems simple enough, right? Not exactly. Donald's daughter Ivanka has reportedly made it known
that she wants a hand in the library planning. It's rumored that Melania and Ivanka have
not always gotten along well, so it seems like the two might not have the same ideas
for the Trump library. A source told The Post,
"The library location has not even been scouted yet, but Ivanka has made her interest clear.
As usual, Melania will have to contend with the other family members."
One of the aspects of Donald that his supporters clung to fairly early on was his career as
a businessman — who could run the country better than someone who has run lucrative
properties? Well, Donald is in for a different kind of business reality in his post-presidency
life, and it's not for the better.
According to The New York Times, a financial disclosure report showed that his businesses
"suffered steep declines in revenue" in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. The report
concluded that his Miami-located golf course lost 40 percent of its revenue and his Washington,
D.C. hotel lost 63 percent of its revenue — all totaled, the Trump Organization suffered
a 38 percent decline from the previous year's income.
To top off an already precarious financial situation, Donald is having to deal with the
fact that some of his hotels are decreasing in popularity. The Times reported that his
properties in largely democratic cities like Chicago and New York are really suffering.
On the other hand, his property in North Carolina is doing just fine. So time will tell if the
Trump Organization can make a financial comeback.
While Donald will have some perks in his post-presidency life, he'll be facing some challenges that
will bruise his ego. As noted by The Palm Beach Post, he's starting to experience some
business setbacks, most notably regarding the situation coming out of his West Palm
Beach condominium building. As a result of his tumultuous presidency, and specifically
the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, the condo's board unanimously decided to remove
the Trump name from the building.
The board convened on January 19th, 2021, Donald's last day in office, and voted to
not only remove the former president's name, but to choose an entirely new name for the
building, where condos can sell for as much as $4 million. It's not the first time that
this particular board has tried to distance itself from Donald, and other Trump-owned
buildings have also removed visual ties to the former president. The violence at the
Capitol was reportedly the "last straw," and both the condo's name and legal documents
will mark the removal of the Trump name.
Melania was an interesting first lady. Unlike some of her predecessors, she didn't take
on the role with immense enthusiasm, and she left the role pretty quickly. A source told
The Washington Post,
"She is not the type to wander around the rooms of the White House in deep reflection
of what happened, of what could have been. She is Melania — she keeps the focus on
what's next."
And unlike Donald, who was enraged over the 2020 election and the loss of the White House,
Melania was said to be "good" with the outcome.
So what's next for her? The Post reported that she has been informed that she will face
far fewer restrictions in her daily life than when she was first lady, and she will have
a "freer hand" to do what she pleases.
Melania is reportedly set on continuing her "Be Best" campaign and to, quote, "continue
all the work she did for children." Her Florida life could also consist of more family time,
as her parents are relocating to Palm Beach as well.
When the former presidents all get together, it's quite a sight. According to NBC News,
the living former presidents — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama
— get together for photos, historical events, and funerals, and they rarely say anything
bad about one another.
This is probably not a club that Donald will be joining any time soon in his post-presidency
life, and from the looks of it, the former presidents would rather him not join. The
author of Team of Five: The Presidents' Club in the Age of Trump noted,
"[Trump] kind of laughed at the very notion that he would be accepted in the presidents'
club. He was like, 'I don't think I'll be accepted.'"
He's probably right. During the inauguration of Joe Biden, Clinton, Bush, and Obama filmed
a video about political unity. There were two notable absences — Carter, who, in his
90s, was too frail to travel, and Donald. The former presidents spoke about togetherness,
a tone that was striking in comparison to the rhetoric from Donald's time in office.
We'll see if he ever becomes a member of the club.
Donald was spotted many times on the green while commander-in-chief, and he likely intends
to keep up the hobby. But his love of golf and his businesses surrounding the sport are
changing in his post-presidency life.
According to the Associated Press, the PGA of America severed its connection to Donald
and voted to relocate the PGA Championship that was to be held at his New Jersey golf
course after the insurrection at the Capitol. The CEO of the PGA said,
"We find ourselves in a political situation not of our making. The damage could have been
irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave."
While it's doubtful Donald would give up golfing, this whole ordeal may make the game a little
less fun for him in the future.
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