Melania Trump Missing In Action As Embattled Ex-Prez Husband Donald Prepares To Be Arraigned On Criminal Charges
Melania Trump was nowhere to be seen as former President Donald Trump arrived in New York City ahead of his arraignment on criminal charges this week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Trump flew from Mar-a-Lago to NYC on Monday ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Trump’s imminent arraignment is in connection to the indictment on criminal charges filed against the former president on Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury over allegations he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
But while the embattled ex-president was joined by an army of his aides and lawyers, neither Melania nor their son, Barron, apparently decided to join Trump on his trip from Palm Beach, Florida to NYC.
Despite her absence this week, a source close to Melania confirmed the former first lady is still backing her embattled husband as he prepares to surrender himself over to authorities on Tuesday afternoon.
“Mrs. Trump is strong,” Melania’s close friend told Daily Mail ahead of Trump’s arraignment hearing. “She is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has.”
“For the past 7 years, the left has made multiple attempts to smear and attack her family and this is just the latest attempt to bring him down,” Melania’s friend added.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Trump is scheduled to surrender himself over to Manhattan authorities sometime Tuesday afternoon after he refused the opportunity to be arraigned over Zoom.
Instead, the former president opted for a high-profile arraignment that includes a “perp walk” during “daylight hours” in an effort to “galvanize” his supporters.
“He wanted a perp walk; he wanted daylight hours,” a law enforcement official said on Monday regarding Trump’s surrender. “He wants to get out of the vehicle and walk up the stairs.”
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“It’s kind of a Jesus Christ thing,” another source explained this week. “He is saying: ‘I’m absorbing all this pain from all around from everywhere so you don’t have to. If they can do this to me they can do this to you,’ and that’s a powerful message.”
Trump’s Secret Service detail has reportedly met with the NYPD and state court officials over the “last couple of weeks” to arrange the former president’s surrender, and the embattled ex-president is reportedly scheduled to be taken into custody around 12 PM Tuesday afternoon.