Six months after the start of his second term, the Donald Trump It has made repeated upheavals on major international issues. An evolution that, according to the Guardian, is not only due to political calculations, but also to … family reasons: it relates to his wife’s growing influence, Trump inks.
Melania Trump’s influence on Donald Trump is said to be such that, for the British Foreign Ministry (Whitehall), it is not enough to “manage” the US president only, they must understand and, if possible, to persuade the First Lady.
From Gaza to Putin, an obvious influence
The article mentions two recent incidents. First, the change of Trump’s attitude to Gaza, when he stated that the Palestinians were suffering from hunger; a position attributed to Melania, after expressing her compassion for the conflict children. The president acknowledged that his wife had “seen the same images as everyone” and described the situation as “terrible”.
Subsequently, her skepticism against Vladimir Putin: In a conversation with NATO secretary general, Trump told him, after a “wonderful” debate with the Russian president, Melania reminded him that a city had just been bombed. These observations allegedly helped to mitigate his image of the Russian leader.
A first lady distinctive but with reason
Melania Trump, who is often distanced from public affairs and spending long periods in New York, has never claimed a central political role. In her rare interviews she insists on the independence of her thought, saying that she does not always agree with her husband. He has already publicly expressed disagreements over the management of the Covid pandemic and the issue of abortions, which is defending.
Its public presence is limited: without frequent official visits and with few placements. However, its sporadic interventions seem to be important. In 2018, he publicly criticized the policy of separation of immigrant children from their parents, causing embarrassment to the White House.
Factor in diplomatic calculations
For British and European diplomats, the recognition of Melania’s role by Trump himself opens up a new perspective: it could be a possible communication channel, especially on humanitarian issues, at a time when the president is trying to attract the moderate women.
However, the actual extent of its influence is difficult to assess. She is self -characteristic “neutral” for Ukraine, though she has expressed her support for the victims of the Russian invasion since February 2022. Its discretion feeds both the hope that it can be a counterweight to Trump’s toughest trends, as well as the frustration of uncertainty about how active it is.
A role under surveillance
For the Guardian, this situation reflects a greater challenge: with the US Foreign Ministry weakened and diplomacy focused on the president himself, his environment – including his family – is becoming decisive. Western diplomatic missions now have to attend not only Trump’s speeches and posts, but also his informal conversations with his wife.
Next month, during the official visit of the Trump couple to the United Kingdom, it will not only be the photographers looking for signs of relationships between them: the royal family and the British diplomats will try the assumption that Melania can turn into a distinctive ally in the White House.