Melania Trump seeking taxpayer funds as she packs to leave the White House

According to The Daily Mail, Donald Trump and Melania are on different pages regarding what they will be doing after January 20, 2021. The President is continuing to say there was election fraud, trying to overturn Joe Biden's win, and looking forward to running again in 2024. The First Lady, however, has her sights on going home to Florida. Melania has hired Marcia Lee Kelly, a special government employee who will help her in the transition from the East Wing and back into private life.

CNN is reporting that one of the first things the First Lady asked Ms. Kelly to do, was to make an inquiry to the West Wing and Office of Management and Budget staff. It seems Melania wanted to know if there were any taxpayer funds allocated to former first ladies. This seems a strange request from a woman whose husband is a billionaire and probably has several million of her own dollars. Many Americans are probably curious as to why the First Lady is looking to the US taxpayers to continue to take care of her. The question, however, could have been innocent and she may have wanted to know if First Ladies get a stipend for life as do their husbands.

There are no tax-payer funds for former first ladies, who have taxpayer funded offices in the White House but are not paid for their position as a president's wife. Former presidents, however, receive a pension equal to the pay that the head of an Executive Level I department would be paid; According to information on Wikipedia this would be $219,200 per year as of 2020. The pension begins immediately after a president leaves office. Most regular Americans could live on that amount of money, pretty comfortably, and care for a spouse and children.

There have been reports that once she returns to Florida, Melania Trump may write a book. It is alleged that it will not be a scathing tell all, or a memoir, but a book about design or hospitality. She may also continue her Be Best initiative with its focus on cyberbullying, kindness, and opioid abuse. This is all speculation as the First Lady's post-White House agenda has not fully been revealed. The 45th President's wife was quite unlike those who preceded her. She cost the American taxpayers millions of dollars a day when she remained in New York, rather than immediately move to the White House.

Melania is said to already be looking into a school in Florida for her son Barron to attend, even as her husband is planning for another four years in Washington. An unnamed source allegedly told CNN that if Donald Trump runs for office in 2024, that it would not go over well with his wife. There are actually people who believe that after January 20, 2021, Melania might end her marriage. Unlike Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Barbara Bush who preceded her, Melania shied away from the spotlight. The previous First Ladies were in the news more and interacted with the public in a way that Melania did not.

This is why Mrs.Trump is considered by some to be the reluctant First Lady. When she married her husband she did not sign up for political life and this has all probably been very difficult for her. Who can blame her for leaving and never looking back? As his wife is removing her belongings from Pennsylvania Ave. and planning a life far away from politics, the President is having a hard time dealing with reality. His lawsuits are being thrown out and so far no judge has agreed with his claims that he was cheated out of the election. Even so, he continues to cry fraud and as not yet conceded to Joe Biden.

Melania has not reached out to congratulate Jill Biden, as she was welcomed by Michelle Obama. Everything about the past four years has been very different than previous administrations but be that as it may, 71 million Americans voted to have Donald and Melania in office for another four years. The clock is ticking down to Inauguration Day with watchers around the world wondering if the Trump's will be no shows. Some say this would be bad form, but their entire tenure has been unconventional so why stop now?