September 15, 2023 06:06 PM
Former President Donald Trump says that his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, will be campaigning for his 2024 presidential run “when it’s appropriate.”
Trump, speaking in an interview with NBC News’s Kristen Welker, said that his wife will hit the campaign trail “pretty soon” after not making appearances at his campaign events since he announced his 2024 candidacy in November 2022.
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“When it’s appropriate, but pretty soon,” Trump said during a clip from the interview, which aired on NBC’s Today on Friday.
“She’s a private person, a great person, very confident person and she loves our country very much. She’ll be at the appropriate time she’ll be out there. Honestly, I like to keep her away from it — it’s so nasty and so mean,” he continued
The former president said that Melania Trump has been with his youngest son, Baron, in the meantime.
Unlike in previous presidential campaigns, Trump’s family has not been as present on the campaign trail at events and rallies. Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have promoted their father’s 2024 presidential campaign, but Ivanka Trump decided against campaigning for her father this time around.
“I love my father very much. This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics. While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena,” Ivanka Trump said shortly after her father announced his 2024 presidential bid.
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Other Republican candidates, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, have made their spouses key parts of their campaigns or messaging. DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, has campaigned alongside her husband several times and has been seen as a vital part of his campaign. Haley has mentioned her husband, Michael Haley, and his service in the military throughout her campaign — her husband was deployed to Africa earlier this summer.
Trump is the clear front-runner in the Republican primary, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, leading his next closest opponent, DeSantis, by more than 40 percentage points.