Melania will skip Trump’s big Middle East trip as he plans major power play on the world stage

By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Published: 15:58 BST, 8 May 2025 | Updated: 16:22 BST, 8 May 2025

First lady Melania Trump is skipping President Donald Trump’s whirlwind trip to the Middle East next week.

Daily Mail confirmed the first lady’s absence as the president visits Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates over the course of three and a half days. 

The Middle East trip was supposed to be the president’s first big foreign swing of his second term. 

But due to the death of Pope Francis, Trump traveled to Rome first.

Melania, a Catholic, accompanied him on that trip. 

The first lady hasn’t fully moved back into the White House since Trump was sworn-in in January. 

Instead she’s been splitting time between Mar-a-Lago, where she and the president lived during the four years he wasn’t in office, and Trump Tower in New York. 

First lady Melania Trump (right) accompanied her husband, President Donald Trump (left) to Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome late last month, but will be skipping next week’s three-country tour of the Middle East 

First lady Melania Trump (left) splits off from her husband President Donald Trump (right) on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after their trip to Rome 

Son Barron, now 19, is a college freshman at NYU. 

Melania was in Washington on Thursday hosting two White House events ahead of the president’s departure to the Middle East. 

The first is a mother’s day luncheon for military mothers, which the president was also set to attend. 

The second is a former first lady Barbara Bush postage stamp unveiling – with several Bush family members expected to attend – though not former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Trump has been critical of both Bush brothers. 

The president will depart Monday for his three-country Middle East trip. 

He’s expected to be greeted with lots of fanfare – as major global issues are expected to be discussed. 

Saudi Arabia has been the host of the recent U.S.-Russia talks as Trump aims to put a stop to the war in Ukraine. 

First lady Melania Trump attends the International Women of Courage award ceremony at the State Department earlier this month 

First lady Melania Trump (left) stands alongside President Donald Trump (center) and the Easter Bunny (right) during the annual Easter Egg Roll, which took place last month 

President Donald Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) arrive hand-in-hand to the Commander-in-Chief inaugural ball on inauguration day in January 

While Qatar has played a major role in attempting to get a Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. 

One aim of the second Trump administration is to get Saudi Arabia to sign onto the Abraham Accords, a significant piece of foreign policy inked at the end of the first Trump administration. 

The Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and the UAE and Israel and Bahrain.

Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel was designed to stop Saudi Arabia from joining the pact. 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, has since indicated that the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel until there’s a move toward Palestinian statehood, something unlikely with conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power. 

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Melania will skip Trump’s big Middle East trip as he plans major power play on the world stage

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