Melania Trump skips Davos for trip to Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington followed by Florida
First Lady pulled out of World Economic Forum in Switzerland at eleventh hour
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Melania Trump has made an unannounced visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and travelled to Florida instead of going to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
The First Lady was scheduled to attend the influential annual conference of financial and business leaders in Davos but made a last minute decision to pull out.
Her spokesman Stephanie Grisham said “scheduling and logistical issues” had forced her to change her plans but did not say what those issues were.
Ms Trump announced her decision not to attend the conference on the 13th anniversary of her wedding to US President Donald Trump.
The First Lady and the president, who gave a speech in Davos, broke tradition by choosing not to make any public mention of their anniversary on Monday.
It was not immediately clear why Ms Trump, a former model who is the president’s third wife, chose to go to West Palm Beach in Florida.
Earlier in the day, Ms Trump left the White House to embark on an unexpected trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington ahead of the International Day of Holocaust Remembrance this Saturday.
She toured the museum and took part in a moment of silence to pay respect to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people whose lives and families were broken by the horrors of the Holocaust," she said in a statement released after her trip. "Yet it is also through our shared humanity that we come together now in commemoration, strength, and love. My heart is with you, and we remember."
Ms Trump has kept a low profile after reports surfaced earlier this month that her husband's personal lawyer Michael Cohen made a $130,000 (£93,000) payment to adult actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006.
The alleged affair supposedly took place four months after Ms Trump would have given birth to the couple's only son, Barron. Mr Cohen has denied the report.
After the story broke she accompanied the president to his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida but she did not attend two dinners he hosted - one with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The first sight of Ms Trump came when she boarded Air Force One to return from Florida to Washington on 15 January. She could be seen braving stormy wind and rain to walk up the stairs to the aircraft behind Mr Trump who carried an umbrella but appeared not to offer it to his wife.
On 20 January, the first anniversary of Mr Trump's inauguration, she shared an image of herself with a military escort before the swearing in ceremony. She said the past year had been filled with “many wonderful moments” but did not mention Mr Trump.
Last weekend, a CNN poll found Ms Trump remains more popular than her husband. While Ms Trump has a 47 per cent favourable rating, the president's approval stands at just 40 per cent.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments