Despite his legal problems, many polls suggest Donald Trump has a good shot at becoming the first president to win a non-consecutive second term in 136 years.
Yet one person who has been largely absent from the campaign trail is his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump. Some observers say that could pose a problem.
One of them is former federal prosecutor and left-wing political commentator Ron Filipkowski, who addressed the issue earlier this month during an appearance on a Meidas Touch YouTube livestream.
"The reports were that she was angry and she wanted nothing more to do with politics… and nothing more to do with campaigning," Newsweek quoted Filipkowski as saying.
"She wanted out and wanted to be a private person with her son," he continued before adding, "And I absolutely believe that is the case."
"So, I think Trump and Trump's campaign people fully understood, that's going to be a big problem that if she doesn't at least get out there a little bit and show her support, it's going to look really bad."
However, the former president told podcast host and former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly last month that his wife’s elusiveness is a benefit.
"I think part of the beauty is that mystery. She doesn't need to be out there," Trump declared. "She has confidence. She has a lot of self-confidence."
"She was a very popular first lady...she's got a lot of self-confidence."@realDonaldTrump opens up about his wife, Melania, and son, Barron.
Watch below, and download:https://t.co/E9bDZTEPvfhttps://t.co/AkeGcdGb0d
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) September 14, 2023
"She was a very popular first lady. I mean, I go out to rallies, and they have pictures of Melania [and say], 'We love our first lady.' So many posters were there in the audience…We had the biggest rallies we've ever had," he added.
Mrs. Trump's decision to keep a relatively low profile doesn't appear to have impacted her husband's quest to win the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
A polling aggregate maintained by the website Real Clear Politics currently gives him a 45-point lead over his nearest rival, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Mitt Romney is speaking out against Donald Trump's lead in the 2024 Republican Party nomination race. https://t.co/M5cfS3J7bw
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) October 12, 2023
According to the website SheKnows, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney has responded by calling on wealthy donors to coalesce around a single alternative.
