Melania Trump makes low-profile return to campaign trail with LGBT fundraiser
Melania Trump has returned to the campaign trail to support Donald Trump’s 2024 bid to win back the White House, in an understated at-home event in stark contrast to her husband’s loud, bombastic style.
On Saturday night (20 April), the former first lady hosted a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans at her Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.
The group describes itself as “the nation’s largest Republican organisation dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies” in support of “limited government, strong national defence, free markets, low taxes, personal responsibility, and individual liberty”.
Ms Trump has long-running ties to the collective and was presented with an award at its 2021 gala dinner at Mar-a-Lago while Mr Trump himself addressed its 2022 gathering at the club.
According to Politico, the event’s host committee includes Republican donors Saul Fox and Amanda Schumacher and Richard Grenell – who served as the 45th president’s ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence — as well as Elizabeth Ailes and Deborah Magowan, the widows of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and San Francisco Giants owner Peter Magowan respectively.
Mr Grenell, the first openly gay member of a presidential cabinet, posted pictures of the event to his Instagram account, describing Ms Trump as “an American treasure” and “electric”.
As of Sunday afternoon, there were few details available about the Mar-a-Lago event bar Mr Grenell’s post and a tweet from Ms Trump that said little specific about the group, its goals, or the Trump campaign.
She wrote: “As we look toward the future and the challenges that lie ahead, we must come together around the principles of liberty, justice, and patriotism. By uniting in our common goals, we can create a brighter and more promising future for all.”
Attendee Bill White posted on X: “Last night we attended a sold out event at Mar a Lago raising well in excess of $1 million for @LogCabinGOP. Our great former and future First Lady Melania Trump was our featured guest of honor. Mrs. @MELANIATRUMP joined our dear friend former acting DNI/Ambassador @RicGrenell to announce the launch of the single most important and unprecedented gay and lesbian voter outreach initiative of any Republican presidential nominee in US political history.”
As Ms Trump charmed the crowd at Mar-a-Lago, the former president meanwhile was scheduled to attend a rally in North Carolina but had to pull out at the last minute due to poor weather conditions. Instead, he sent an audio message to attendees.
Ahead of her event on Saturday, Ms Trump gave a rare interview to Fox News Digital urging the country to “unite” as the 2024 campaign heats up and her husband faces his hush money trial in New York.
“We must unite in our effort to establish a society where equality is the everyday experience of every American,” Ms Trump said. “Individual freedom provides a unifying set of principles, and ultimately establishes our American way.”
She added that when America succeeds, it “blossoms into a magnificent place where everyone can practice their beliefs, share new ideas, and express individualism — this is when we are our best”.
In his remarks to Fox News ahead of the Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, Mr Grenell said: “If you work hard and have a little bit of luck and God’s grace, you can do anything you want in America regardless of your skin colour, socio-economic situation, or sexual orientation. We want what every American wants, to be treated equally not differently.”
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