As Donald Trump serves his second term as the 47th President of the United States, First Lady Melania Trump has largely remained out of the spotlight. However, in her limited public appearances, a noticeable shift in her role and relationship with the president is emerging—one that suggests a more balanced, intimate, and assertive partnership.
Body language expert Judi Jones shared her analysis with the Irish Star, noting what she calls a “seismic change” in the dynamic between the Trumps. Jones has observed that their joint appearances now reflect more warmth, physical closeness, and even flirtation—signs that were rare during Trump’s first term in office.
“There has been a seismic change in Donald and Melania’s body language for this current term in the White House,” said Jones. “Their actual appearances together revealed signals of affection and closeness that the world had never been shown previously.”
At the National Day of Prayer service, Jones observed the couple looking “totally in tune and even flirtatious,” exchanging laughter, discreet whispers, and sharing physical closeness. “They were tactile, and they seemed to be enjoying each other’s company,” she added.
This apparent transformation also extends to Melania’s public persona. Her official White House portrait now depicts her in a powerful CEO-like stance, standing at the head of a boardroom table and dressed in sharp, corporate attire.
“Melania’s official portrait for the White House seemed to set the tone for her enhanced profile,” Jones explained. “She chose to adopt a pose more suited to a powerful CEO than a traditional, supportive FLOTUS.”
This updated image aligns with Melania’s increased policy involvement. Notably, she championed the bipartisan Take It Down Act, signed by President Trump on May 19, 2025, which targets non-consensual explicit imagery and deepfake abuse.
Jones also highlighted early signs of Melania’s independence in her memoir, Melania, which was released prior to Trump’s re-election. “She had been very firm about having ‘my own yes’s and my own no’s,’” Jones noted, pointing to a more self-assured and opinionated first lady.
Speculation once suggested Melania would remain at Mar-a-Lago while Trump governed from Washington. But recent public appearances—marked by closeness and coordinated fashion are challenging that narrative. Jones remarked that Melania’s wardrobe choices now reflect a shift toward equality in the relationship.
“At one appearance, she matched her husband in a black tuxedo suit,” she noted. “There is another where she wore a shirt and tie, showing a more masculine styling than usual.” “Their visual appearance seems much more in tune now, too. There is the look of a much more even power balance,” Jones concluded.