Opinion: Melania Trump should leave Donald and save herself further embarrassment

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in the following article belong solely to the author and do not reflect or represent Newsner. 

Voluntatem populi. The will of the people.

It’s democracy boiled down to its finest fibre, the greatest ideal that any self-respecting civilization should aspire to be governed by. Even when that will leaves a fraction under half of an entire population looking down the barrel of a bleak horizon, mouths agape in disbelief.

Earlier this week Donald Trump concluded what is not only the greatest political resurrection in US history, but arguably in the history of human politics. Flying in the face of decency and rewriting the playbook with regards to the qualities any aspiring leader of a country must have, the oft-extreme, ever cult-like values and components of Trumpism won the day.

So, as much of the rest of the world look to the US and wonder who poured what in the Kool-Aid, there is one undeniable fact they must choke down: there will be four more years of Trump, and all the uncertainty and unpredictability that he promises. His methods, antics, tendencies and flagrant lies don’t just upset the apple cart; they roll the damn thing off of a cliff onto a pre-school packed with children.

But hey-ho, the people have spoken: this is what America – or at the very least the majority who went to vote – wants. The coming four years should look extremely different to the previous four (or else what’s the point?), and each and every person who voted for Trump will have to live with their decision, for better or worse.

Of course, there will be those who are sure to benefit from Trump’s return to the Oval Office. I’m not talking about the people who make up the backbone of the country. No, regardless of what sweet nothings you’ve been spoon-fed about tax-breaks and better jobs and less migrants to eat your cats and dogs, it’s unlikely much will change in your day-to-day. I’m speaking of the individuals at the top of the ladder who vehemently championed Trump’s cause and have three salient points in common: they’re super rich, they’re white, and they’re male.

People like Elon Musk, whose stake in all of this – in my opinion – extends only as far as protecting the interests of his companies (regardless of the yarn he admirably tries to spin with a view of becoming some sort of right-wing folk hero). People like Dana White, caught on video hitting his wife last year, well known for throwing his toys out of the pram whenever someone is perceived to have benefitted from following a course of action he himself did not intent. People like *cough* news anchor? *cough* Tucker Carlson, who recently blamed a recent increase in hurricanes on abortions like some mead-mad 13th century town lunatic.

Suffice to say, Trump’s gaggle of sycophants and ‘yes’ men is sure to turn the White House into a nest of vipers, all of them vying for a pat on the head from the big man.

And yet there’s one person entangled close to the ugly nucleus of the sticky spider-web of Trump’s boundless ambition that I actually find myself feeling sorry for: Melania.

Something’s changed

Only a fool would believe that Donald and Melania Trump have had anything close to the sort of stable, loving union showcased by, say, Barrack and Michelle Obama. At least not in recent years. Their marriage is functioning, sure, but in my opinion that’s almost entirely due to the fact that in reality it requires very little on the part of either party. They each play their role without having to do anything beyond occasionally standing beside one another while other people take pictures.

Even so, something has definitely changed in Melania since she and her dearly beloved were booted from the White House in 2020. Perhaps it was the chaos let loose by her husband’s deranged ravings in light of losing the election? Or the egregious attack on democracy that culminated in the ugliness that unfolded on Capitol Hill? Or perhaps it was the hush-money scandal relating to Melania’s righteous, god-abiding husband’s affair with ex-porn star Stormy Daniels?

Late Tuesday night, Donald appeared on center stage at West Palm Beach’s Palm Beach County Convention Center to claim his victory and celebrate with his supporters. By his side was Melania, and the two shared a relatively rare moment of public affectionate. The former The Apprentice star turned to Melania, smiled, and said, “Come here, honey.”

Even then, the tension between them was obvious. And no, I don’t mean that in a good way.

The two shared a hug and exchanged a kiss, and though many dubbed it a beautiful moment, multiple one body language experts were left unconvinced. Darren Stanton stated that Melania was reluctant to even walk to her husband on stage, claiming that there was “no closeness.”

“When Trump looks back at Melania and gestures to her to come over for a hug, she reluctantly comes forward,” Stanton said.

“It’s very disjointed and awkward, and there’s no emotion from her. We don’t see any genuine smiles from Melania, it feels like a smile she has adopted for the occasion.”

Stanton continued: “There’s not the level of emotion you’d expect given her husband has just been elected president. It’s all quite contrived, she’s just reluctant to show any emotion, there’s no real happiness or joy. There’s always an awkwardness with Melania.”

Trump and Melania

Trump’s approach to virtually everything since he announced his intent to run for election the first time around has been to bull forward, come what may, with little to no disregard for what happens to others. Melania, I believe, has become just one of the many victims… swept up in a maelstrom of momentum she can’t escape, forced to sit, humiliated, as her husband’s infidelities and glaring character flaws are dissected on the world stage.

To all the ladies out there, would you seriously sit idly by if it came to light that your husband had an affair with a former porn star (the aforementioned Stormy Daniels) and then tried to cover it up with hush-money payments?

That’s not to mention the draconian abortion laws he supports – laws, I might add, that Melania outright admitted she didn’t support in her memoir. And that’s just scratching the surface of what Melania has been put through during her time as convicted felon Donald’s better half.

I get it… at this stage it feels like it’s too late for the Slovenian-born beauty to turn back. There are some who will say that she’s made her bed, and that she should lie in it. And yet with rumors insisting that it’s unlikely she will make the White House her full-time residence, despite the fact her husband is the PRESIDENT, one has to beg the question… is there really any love there at all?

Or is this, as I suspect, a front to polish the image that Trump – contrary to every ounce of evidence we have – is a god-fearing family man who is dedicated to his wife and wants nothing more than to selflessly improve the lives of all around him?

Call me radical, but I think Melania should have long since divorced that man and had the courage to strike out on her own.

Things aren’t going to get better from here.