During her husband’s first presidential inauguration, in January 2017, Melania Trump was a newcomer to Washington, a first lady who draped herself in baby-blue cashmere to evoke memories of Jacqueline Kennedy and whose tight smile, at moments, seemed to dissolve into a scowl.
The years have evidently changed her.
Throughout her husband’s first term, Mrs. Trump would go on to keep her physical and emotional distance from the capital, choosing to focus on raising her son, Barron, and retreat from the public eye.
While other family members, like Ivanka Trump, have seemingly enjoyed spending years smiling widely for the cameras and posting their travels (and high-status friends) on social media, Mrs. Trump and her son remained closed off. But on Monday, the returning first lady and the son she had once shielded from the public eye used Monday’s inauguration to reintroduce themselves.
One of the biggest changes occurred before they set foot in the capital. Along with the rest of the family, Mrs. Trump has signaled that she will be more unapologetic about the ethical concerns that followed her family through President Trump’s first term. The woman who once abandoned jewelry and skin care lines unveiled her own cryptocurrency, $MELANIA, hours before Mr. Trump’s swearing-in. So far, both Trumps have shrugged off complaints.
Barron Trump is now treated as an adviser by his father and as something of a next-generation MAGA mascot by his father’s supporters. He pushed his father to join podcasts during the campaign and urged the sort of crypto projects that his parents are participating in. During the launch of Mr. Trump’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, in September, Barron Trump was listed as the project’s “DeFi visionary,” a reference to the branch of crypto known as decentralized finance.
Barron Trump appeared at several inauguration events on Monday, spending time with his father’s defense secretary pick.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
