Melania Trump Announces Creation of Personal Office

Then-President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step out of Marine One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20, 2021. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images)

First Lady Melania Trump on Feb. 12 announced the creation of a formal personal office.

“Mrs. Melania Trump is announcing the opening of The Office of Melania Trump. Please follow this account for news and updates,” a message from a Twitter account titled Office of Melania Trump states. Trump retweeted the message from her verified Twitter account.

The message is the first public statement from the first lady since she briefly addressed a farewell crowd during President Donald Trump’s last day in office. She had also issued a lengthier pre-recorded farewell message on Jan. 18 in a video posted on social media.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as First Lady of the United States. I have been inspired by incredible Americans across our country who lift up their communities through their kindness and courage, goodness and grace. The past four years have been unforgettable,” the first lady said in the address on Jan. 18. She also praised and thanked members of the military and law enforcement.

The Trumps have been out of the public spotlight after Jan. 20 and amid the impeachment trial. People in the family’s orbit have said both the president and first lady may begin to have more of a public profile after the trial.

During her service, the first lady created and promoted the Be Best campaign focused on the wellbeing of children and efforts against cyberbullying and opioid abuse.

President Donald Trump announced the creation of The Office of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 25.

“The Office will be responsible for managing President Trump’s correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism,” a statement from the office says. “President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People.”

Trump made his first political move after leaving the White House on Jan. 22 when in a phone call he endorsed Kelli Ward, a former Arizona state senator who was later reelected as the Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman.

Trump also released a statement late Jan. 25 endorsing his former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her campaign for Arkansas governor.

The announcement of the Office of the Former President came shortly before the House of Representatives delivered a single impeachment charge to the Senate late Jan. 25. The “incitement of insurrection” charge claims that Trump was responsible for inciting an insurrection that resulted in a group breaking into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.