Melania Trump Ready for Different White House Transition
Incoming First Lady Melania Trump revealed she’s already packed for a smoother White House transition, marking a significant difference from her first move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2017.
“The difference is I know where I will be going. I know the rooms where we will be living. I know the process,” Melania Trump, 54, said in an interview aired by Fox & Friends. “The first time was challenging, we didn’t have much of the information.”
The incoming first lady said that everything is already packed, and she has selected the furniture that will be installed once President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and their family vacate the White House on Jan. 20. In a space of just five hours, transition staffers will move the Bidens out and move the Trumps in.
Melania Trump said she will spend most of her time in the White House, although there will be days when she needs to be in New York, or Palm Beach, Florida.
Barron Trump, the 19-year-old son of Melania Trump and the president-elect, who lived at the White House in the first term, will visit the White House in the upcoming four years, she said. Barron Trump is preparing to take classes at New York University. She shared he’s welcome to bring his friends home from college on weekends.
White House Transition helped by support
Melania said that her 2024 memoir has drawn scores of responses from fans, who wanted to hear more from her. That prompted a new film project that started shooting in November of that year. The movie will show her day-to-day life, including her preparation for returning to the White House, she said.
She told the hosts on Fox that she is looking forward to being first lady again.
“I think it will be an exciting four years. We have a lot to do, to put the country back in shape,” she said.
I feel I was always me the first time … I just feel that people didn’t accept me
She also revealed she is still hiring for her team and plans to leave a few positions open until after the Trumps move back into the White House.
“I don’t want to hire too many people on my team and spend too much taxpayer money. I want to make sure that every position, they are talented, they have merit, they know what they are doing, and … they are team players. They don’t have their own agenda. They’re serving me, they’re serving my office, and they’re serving the country.”
She said she would continue her “Be Best” campaign, which she started when she was first lady from 2017 through 2021. “Be Best” focuses on youth mental health, including protecting children against cyberbullying.
The incoming first lady said she has also seen a change in how people treat her.
“I feel I was always me the first time … I just feel that people didn’t accept me, maybe. They didn’t understand me the way maybe they do now. And I didn’t have much support,” she said. “Maybe some people see me as just a wife of the president, but I’m standing on my own two feet, independent. I have my own thoughts, I have my own ‘yes’ and ‘no.'”
Previous White House Christmas celebrations under her leadership were noted for their stunning decorations and tributes to American cities. Recent polls show the Trumps maintain strong support among their base and Americans in general as they prepare to return to Washington.
–By Zachary Stieber | The Epoch Times
