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Questions regarding what’s really going on with Donald and Melania Trump’s marriage are nothing new. Speculation that the president and first lady remain together out of convenience has plagued the couple since Donald’s first term. In fact, some argue that the Trumps’ marriage doubles as an ironclad legal strategy more than a romantic partnership. The second Trump administration has given us more insight into how Melania and Donald operate as a couple, suggesting it’s not just a sham but also not a traditional union.

In May 2025, Trump biographer Michael Wolff made a bold claim about their marriage status. “They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage … They are separated,” the Trump critic and author of “Fire and Fury” said on “The Daily Beast” podcast. The Trumps minced no words in their response. “He is an imbecile of the highest order and his Trump Derangement Syndrome-addled brain has caused him to lead a miserable existence devoid of reality,” White House communications director Steven Cheung told The Independent.

But the truth of the matter remains that Melania has barely acted as first lady at all. Between January and August 2025, she had made fewer than half of the public appearances than the same period during Donald’s first term (which was already low compared to previous first ladies). Melania leads a lonely life that is split between New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida. That being said, despite ample evidence that Melania and Donald don’t have a conventional marriage, some claim they do have a collaborative partnership. 

Donald and Melania Trump may lead largely separate lives, but they reportedly count on each other more than their public interactions let on. Some argue that Donald often turns to his wife for political advice, especially on international matters. A Slovenian immigrant who grew up in communist Yugoslavia, Melania feels strongly about issues across the pond. “She brings another level of credibility having grown up in a Europe under the control of Russian aggression,” former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush, Anita McBride, told CNN in August 2025.

Proof of her influence surfaced ahead of the August 2025 Russia–United States Summit in Alaska, when she wrote an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine. “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore [children’s] melodic laughter,” she wrote. “In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself.” Melania is speculated to have been a driving force in shifting Donald’s diplomatic approach to the war and Russia.

According to CNN sources, Melania and the president speak several times a day via text or call. The first lady also seemingly influenced Donald’s view on Palestine, despite the US’ historic support of Israel. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that there was any starvation in Gaza, Donald retorted, “Those children look very hungry … that’s real starvation stuff” (via BBC). Melania may not be super interested in being first lady, but she has opinions — and the president’s ear.