Donald Trump Says Wife Melania Will Join Him in the White House During 2nd Term: 'She'll Be Active'

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Donald and Melania Trump on Nov. 6, 2024.Photo:Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump look on during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Americans cast their ballots today in the presidential race between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as multiple state elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Donald Trumphas shared thatMelania Trumpwill be joining him in the White House for his second term.

The president-elect, 78, revealed in a new interview withTIME— while being named the magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year on Thursday, Dec. 12 — that the former first lady, 54, will be “active when she needs to be” during his next four years as president.

“Oh yes,” Trump said when asked if Melania will be staying at the White House. “She was, she was very, she actually became very active towards the end, as you saw with interviews. And she does — she does them well. People really watch.”

From Left: Donald and Melania Trump on Oct. 17, 2024.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) and former US First Lady Melania Trump attend the 79th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Hilton Midtown in New York, October 17, 2024.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty

Days before Trumpsecured the presidencyduring the the 2024 election in early November,sources close to Melania and the Trump familysounded off on the potential of her relocating again to the White House.

One source close to the Trumps told PEOPLE at the time that Melania would “not likely” make the White House her primary residence, and that she was reportedly hoping to spend more time in New York City with their 18-year-old son,Barron Trump, who just began his first year of studies atNew York University.

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From Left: Melania, Barron and Donald Trump in November 2024.Joe Raedle/Getty

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty

“As much as Melania loves Mar-a-Lago and her life in Palm Beach, she will spend more time in New York with her son, who is more important to her than anything else,” the source said of the coming months. “If her husband is elected, she will attend the White House functions that she is asked to attend just as she always has. Melania knows what to do, yet has a mind of her own.”

The source added, “That has not and will not change if former president Trump wins the election.”

Another source added that she’d embrace all she’s asked of for her role as first lady. “Barron’s safety and well being will always remain at the top of her priority list, but that doesn’t mean she would shirk her duties as first lady should that opportunity come again,” the source believed.

source: people.com