Jill Biden wrote a personal note to Melania Trump as she prepares to return to the White House for her second term as First Lady.
After last November’s election, Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States and is set to be inaugurated on January 20 as the 47th president.
Before Trump officially takes office, Jill Biden reached out to Melania Trump with an invitation for a traditional White House tea, a custom followed by First Ladies during presidential transitions. However, Melania reportedly declined the invitation.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Jill shared that Melania had chosen not to attend the tea she had extended to her. Since this event is a longstanding tradition between incoming and outgoing First Ladies, Melania’s decision led Jill to send her a note to “check in on her.”
Jill shared that she congratulated Melania and offered her assistance, but didn’t get an immediate response. The two First Ladies finally crossed paths at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on January 9, where Jill mentioned that Melania expressed her thanks “during pleasantries.”
Reflecting on her return to the White House for a second term, Melania suggested that her initial transition as First Lady was less than ideal, as “information was withheld” from her and her husband.
“The first time was challenging, we didn’t have much of the information,” she explained to Fox & Friends about her first term in 2017, noting the lack of support she felt as she moved into the White House for the first time.
“The information was withheld from us by the previous administration,” she added. “But this time I have everything… it’s a very different transition this time, second time around.”
This time, it looks like Melania Trump is taking a different approach. While she has previously highlighted her role as First Lady, she also made it clear that she’s not just defined by being Donald Trump’s wife.
“Maybe some people see me as just a wife of the President, but I’m standing on my own two feet, independent, I have my own thoughts, I have my own ‘yes’ and ‘no’,” she said in an interview with Fox News.
Melania is expected to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, where she will be joined by Jill Biden and her husband, current President Joe Biden, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, who was one of Trump’s rivals in the previous election.
Also confirmed to be present are former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady, Secretary of State, and Trump’s opponent in 2016, will also attend with her husband. However, it’s been reported that Michelle Obama, the former First Lady, won’t be at the event.