Melania Trump spends Christmas with ailing mother, missing Mar-a-Lago celebration

EXCLUSIVE: Former first lady Melania Trump celebrated Christmas with her ailing mother, Fox News Digital has learned. 

A source close to the former first lady told Fox News Digital that she did not attend the Trump family Christmas celebration at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this week so that she could spend time with her ailing mother. 

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“Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family,” a source close to Melania Trump told Fox News Digital. “It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother.” 

Former President Donald Trump and Melania’s son, Barron, attended the Christmas dinner with his father and other family members at Mar-a-Lago.

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The former first lady, in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year, said she fully supports her husband’s presidential campaign and looks forward to “restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength” during a possible second term in the White House. She told Fox News Digital it would be a “privilege” to serve as first lady again. 

Trump said that if she has “the privilege” to serve as first lady again in 2024, she would continue to prioritize initiatives focused on the well-being and development of children, to ensure they have the “support and resources they need to reach their full potential.”

Former President Trump currently holds a commanding lead over the GOP primary field. 

During her time as first lady, Melania Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative, and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. She worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by then-President Trump in December 2020.

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Since leaving the White House, the former first lady also created special edition Non-Fungible Tokens. A portion of those proceeds went toward her initiative “Fostering the Future” to secure education opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Melania Trump spoke to new American citizens about the “responsibility” of citizenship and the importance of “guarding our freedom” during a naturalization ceremony in the historic National Archives Rotunda. 

The ceremony featured 25 people from 25 nations sworn in as new citizens of the U.S. before the Constitution and other founding documents.