Melania Trump is skipping the traditional meeting with the current first lady as the Trumps once again transition into the role of America’s first family.
Mrs. Trump reportedly cited a scheduling conflict with the planned Wednesday visit when President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet in the Oval Office. Typically, when the outgoing president and incoming president meet, the first lady hosts her successor for tea.
In 2016, then-first lady Michelle Obama hosted Mrs. Trump for tea, but the tradition was skipped in 2020 when Mr. Trump did not invite Mr. Biden to the White House since he was fighting the election results. Mrs. Trump and Ms. Biden didn’t meet then either.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are set to meet in the Oval Office as a show of a peaceful power transition, something the president and Vice President Kamala Harris have promised will happen.
Still, the relationship between the Trumps and the Bidens has been fraught. Mr. Trump continues to accuse Mr. Biden and Democrats of stealing the 2020 election.
Mr. Trump also has blamed Mr. Biden for the multiple criminal and civil trials the president-elect battled during the recent White House race.
What’s more, Mrs. Trump says she is “angry” about the FBI raid on her family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in search of classified documents.
“Yeah, it made me angry. Yes. Invasion of privacy. And, the way it was done, I was really surprised,” Mrs. Trump said in an interview on “Fox & Friends” in September.
During the raid, officers were said to have even gone through her wardrobe and their son Barron’s room.
“I saw unpleasant stuff that nobody wants to see it. And you get angry because, you know, nobody should be putting up with that kind of stuff. Some person, I don’t even know who, or how many people they, you know, they went through my stuff,” the former first lady said.
A federal judge ultimately dismissed the case against Mr. Trump for mishandling classified documents.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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