First Lady-elect Melania Trump opened up about where she will spend her time during President-elect Donald Trump’s second presidency, making it clear that her priority is to be a mom first.
Speaking to Fox News “Fox and Friends” on Monday, the first lady-elect said she will be spending time in three places, New York, Palm Beach, and Washington, D.C. — with the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue being her primary residence.
“I will be in the White House, and when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York,” Melania told the host. “When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach.”
“My first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on January 20, you serve the country.”
Incoming first lady @MELANIATRUMP shares why this time will be a little different from the last. pic.twitter.com/EXT2Pq7OVX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 13, 2025
“But my first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife, and once we are in on Jan. 20, you serve the country,” she added.
Melania and Trump’s son, Barron Trump, is currently enrolled in New York University’s Stern School of Business and she will be staying at Trump Tower triplex penthouse in Manhattan when she’s in the city.
The first lady-elect also has responsibilities in Florida where she and Trump have made their primary residence at the Mar-a-lago resort, since 2019.
When pressed further about how much time Barron will spend in D.C., the first lady-elect said that their son will “come visit” the White House as much as he would like to.
“I feel that children, we have them ’til they are like 18, 19 years old,” Melania said. “We teach them, we guide them. and then we give them the wings to fly.”
“And I always respect Barron’s yes and no and what he likes to do, where he would like to be,” she added.
During the interview, the first lady-elect said, this second time around, she’s more prepared to move and live in the White House than the last time in 2017, following Trump’s election victory.
“The difference is I know where I will be going. I know the rooms, where we will be living, I know the process,” Melania said. “The first time was challenging. We didn’t have much of the information.”
“But this time I have everything,” she added. “I have the plans, I could move in, I already packed, I already selected, you know, the furniture that needs to go in. So it’s a very different transition this time, second time around.”
The first lady-elect also talked about how last time she didn’t “feel that people” accepted, understood, or supported her. And she said she’s looking forward to this second time in the White House, those things being different.
