Melania Trump has been 'bitter and chilly' toward her husband because of her tarnished reputation, a report says
Former first lady Melania Trump has been "bitter and chilly" toward her husband since they left Washington DC, according to CNN.
She is disappointed by how she departed the White House, the media outlet reported.
At the time of leaving office, the former first lady was exceptionally unpopular.
She had the worst favorability ratings for any modern first lady at the time of her departure from the White House, according to polling conducted by SSRS for CNN.
Trump is upset that her reputation has been affected by former President Donald Trump's relentless campaign to denounce the election and the consequent deadly insurrection, two people familiar with her thinking told CNN.
Following the Capitol's January 6 attack, Trump was reportedly unsure how to respond to the event.
She was caught between a rock and a hard place, having to decide between condemning the violence and remaining silent, the media outlet reported.
The former would anger her husband's base. The latter might suggest complicity.
"She could see how it was going to be for her," a former White House official told CNN. "Once the insurrection happened, she knew there was nothing to gain by her speaking out or doing something — so she didn't do anything."
Five days after the Capitol siege, Melania Trump eventually released a statement expressing sympathy for those injured or killed.
This followed the resignations of her key aides.
Trump's bitterness also extends to first lady Jill Biden, CNN's Kate Bennett reported.
She is lamenting the positive media focus on her successor, CNN said.
Trump has not spoken to the first lady since leaving the White House, the outlet said. This bucks the historic tradition of former first ladies reaching out to their successors.
Trump and her husband are currently spending their time at Mar-a-Lago, the former president's Florida resort.
While her husband is reportedly watching his second impeachment trial unfold, the former first lady is said to be frequenting the resort's spa.
"She goes to the spa, has lunch, goes to the spa (again), and has dinner with Donald on the patio," someone familiar with her schedule told CNN.
