WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump came armed with surefire applause lines when she stepped up to address a largely female audience that had gathered to celebrate other women.
1 / 7In this March 8, 2019, phot, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk hand in hand in Beauregard, Ala., as they tour areas where tornados killed 23 people in Lee County, Ala. Melania Trump largely avoided the campaign trail in 2016, limiting her role to a handful of appearances and interviews. But as President Donald Trump shows his eagerness for the coming 2020 re-election battle, less clear is the first lady’s fervor for participating in the effort.
People in Trump's political orbit, for their part, are skeptical that one of the most private first ladies in modern history would want to take on a big public role in her husband's bid to win another four years in office. And in the tornado zone, the stiletto-friendly first lady wore sneakers as she played empathetic backup to her husband. She participated in a briefing, joined the president as he greeted relief workers, engaged with victims with him and on her own, and signed autographs.
Trump continues to suffer from low approval ratings among women, which could prove challenging as he faces a Democratic primary field with a historic number of female candidates vying to run against him in 2020. In Gallup's latest tracking poll, Trump had a 36 percent approval rating among women, which is about where it's held throughout his presidency.
Mrs. Trump limited her role in the 2016 campaign to just a handful of appearances and interviews. Her most memorable moment came during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, when her high-profile speech was quickly overshadowed by accusations that she had stolen passages from a speech given by Mrs. Obama. A speechwriter later took responsibility and apologized.
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