Former First Lady Melania Trump disclosed why she decided to join her husband on stage at the Madison Square Garden rally after months of remaining notably absent from his 2024 campaign trail.
Donald Trump held a rally in deep-blue Manhattan on Sunday, where Melania joined the former president in a surprise appearance.
On Tuesday’s Fox & Friends, she was asked why she decided to publicly campaign for her husband now, with about a week before Election Day to go.
“Well it was an incredible place. I love New York City,” she told the co-hosts. “I wanted to support my husband. So I was there for him and for everybody else.”
Melania walked onto the stage to a Guns N’ Roses song at Sunday’s rally.
She began with an optimistic view of New York City, where she lives and where her and Trump’s son Barron attends college. The Big Apple is “the world’s undisputed capital of industry, where titans of finance, fashion, and entertainment convene,” she began.
But, the city is also “unforgiving,” she added, before delivering a grimmer message: “Sadly, today, a declining quality of life coupled with economic instability makes it difficult for business to thrive.”
She also told the Manhattan crowd that crime rates were on the rise across the country — a claim that conflicts with FBI data.
The former first lady then introduced her husband and the two of them kissed as he walked to the podium as they waved to teh crowd.
Melania has made a few notable stops on the campaign trail among long periods of absence. The former first lady attended the Republican National Convention in July and the Al Smith dinner earlier this month.
At one point, Melania was away from the campaign trail for so long that her absence prompted “missing” posters and a “Where’s Melania?” plane banner.
