His remarks came after Melania made her first public appearance at the White House in about a month, attending a Fostering the Future event in the Rose Garden earlier this week.

Wolff says Melania has ‘absconded’ from White House

Wolff described Melania’s limited presence as highly unusual, saying, “The first lady has abdicated, absconded. She’s literally not there.”

Her East Wing operation is also considerably smaller than those of some of her recent predecessors. Publicly available staffing figures show five staffers in Melania’s office, compared with roughly 20 in the offices of some recent first ladies.

Melania has also expanded her commercial profile outside the traditional first-lady role. She published a memoir and was the subject of an Amazon documentary, for which the company reportedly paid about $40 million.

What Wolff said about Natalie Harp

Wolff also alleged that Melania has expressed discomfort about being at the White House when Trump aide Natalie Harp is present. 

“She has expressed to people that she does not want to be there when Natalie Harp is there,” Wolff said. Wolff did not provide evidence for the claim.

Wolff compared the situation with Melania’s relationship with former Trump aide Hope Hicks during his first term.

Wolff described Harp as one of the people closest to Trump, saying she is often “by his side” while Melania is not.

Harp was not seen at Melania’s latest White House appearance, which came amid recent scrutiny of the aide’s unusually close access to Trump.

Former Trump aide says Melania was ‘just not around’

Former deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews has also described Melania as largely absent during Trump’s first administration, saying she never met the first lady despite working on his campaign and later in the White House.

“The only person I never met was Melania Trump,” Matthews said on the On Sunday with Jack Cocchiarella podcast, recalling her time in the first Trump administration.

Matthews said it was a “known thing” within the administration that Melania “was just not around, and she didn’t want to be around”.

Matthews also said Melania preferred staying in New York rather than at the White House.

Matthews questioned the timing of Melania’s latest appearance amid recent attention surrounding Harp, while also saying foster care was one of the First Lady’s “passions”.

Melania spent fewer than 14 days at White House: Report

Questions about Melania’s limited presence emerged early in Trump’s second term. A New York Times report in 2025, cited by People, estimated that she had spent fewer than 14 days at the White House during the first months after Trump returned to office, with some sources suggesting even that estimate was generous.

Historian and first-lady expert Katherine Jellison told The New York Times that Melania was unusually low-profile, saying, “We haven’t seen such a low-profile first lady since Bess Truman.”

Melania made a handful of appearances during that period. She spoke against cyberbullying and revenge pornography during a congressional roundtable in March, presented honours at the International Women of Courage Awards in April and attended the White House Easter Egg Roll.

She also travelled with Trump to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, which fell on her 55th birthday.

Before Trump’s second term began, Melania had said she planned to divide her time between the White House, New York City and the couple’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“I will be in the White House. And when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach,” she said in a January 13 interview on Fox & Friends. “My first priority is to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife.”

Melania’s public appearances during Trump’s second term

A Daily Beast analysis estimated that Melania has made a public appearance roughly once every six days during Trump’s second term, with the frequency falling further this summer.