Donald Trump verified that Melania’s mother is currently in a state of severe illness, which explains the absence of the former first lady from the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations held at Mar-a-Lago by the Trump family.
“Hopefully she’ll be recovering,” Trump said of Amalija Knav, who is being treated at a hospital in Miami, after mentioning he had just gotten off the phone with Melania (via video shared on X).
“Hopefully, that’ll be OK, but it’s a tough one, a very tough one.”
President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on New Year's Eve 2023! pic.twitter.com/YmUSIJ8QHI
— Shannon Ford (@shannonfordUSA) January 1, 2024
Trump, aged 77, conveyed that Melania extends her affection to the assemblage that congregated at his Palm Beach, Florida residence to celebrate the commencement of 2024.
“She knows probably about 95 percent of the people in this room,” he added. “We just want to wish Amalija that she gets better as quickly as possible.”
The specific details of her sickness were not mentioned.
Melania, aged 53, caused surprise when she did not appear in a Christmas photo with the Trump family. However, a reliable source informed Page Six that she was absent because she was tending to her 78-year-old mother.
“Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family,” a source close to Melania elaborated to Fox News Digital.
“It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother.”
The photograph depicted a group consisting of Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Barron Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, their children, Tiffany Trump, and Michael Boulos, Tiffany’s spouse.
Melania’s continued nonattendance at prominent events follows our previous story that she intended to increase her presence in order to promote her husband’s campaign for re-election.
“Trump and his family are so secure that he will become president again that insiders at Mar-a-Lago say he’s reached an agreement with Melania to step up top-tier diplomatic appearances in 2024,” a source told us.
“Melania realizes it’s her time to join the ranks of historic first ladies and leave her mark on history … She feels better prepared for her potential role the second time around,” our source added, noting that Donald’s immediate family are “solidly behind” his bid for the Oval Office.
Melania attended at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral at the end of November as well as a citizens’ naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in early December.
