First Lady Melania Trump‘s last public appearance was on May 10th, shortly after the announcement of her “Be Best” initiative and four days before she was hospitalized for what was purportedly a minor kidney surgery. That she hasn’t been spotted in public for 25 days and counting has led to plenty of conjecture and conspiracy theories, and the very Donald Trump-esque tweet posted to her official Twitter account only fueled speculation. Not since the body double conspiracy have people seemed to overanalyze the FLOTUS to this extent.
The situation seems to have finally come to a head over the weekend. While Donald Trump was at Camp David with daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, son Donald Jr., and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Melania was notably absent. Late Sunday afternoon, Melania’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told ABC reporter and producer Meridith McGraw that the first lady would also be skipping this week’s G7 Summit as well as her husband’s June 12th Singapore meeting with Kim Jong-un. The news of her absence elicited more raised eyebrows, which may be why the White House reached out to CNN reporter Kate Bennett four hours later to announce the first lady “is expected” to appear at a Gold Star families event this evening at the White House. The event is closed to the press.
We’ll have to wait until tonight to hear if she really shows up. Meanwhile, people on Twitter have been putting things into perspective:
Melania hasn’t been seen in more than twice as long as Scaramucci was White House Communications Director.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) June 3, 2018
MAGA = Melania’s Absence Getting Awkward.
— Deniz S. (@MrFilmkritik) June 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/mikefossey/status/1003391168464523265
The search was on.
https://twitter.com/dubouchet/status/1003343527214845952
Some of the conspiracy theories were optimistic:
Hear me out…
What if Melania is pulling a “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and she went to a Cubs game with Hope Hicks and then they are both driving a Ferrari and then realize there are too many miles on it and they are reversing it now and this NyQuil is really really good.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) June 3, 2018
I hope Richard Simmons and Melania are together somewhere
— Marissa (@marissawalsh) June 4, 2018
Some of the theories were relatable:
melania is doing the thing where you skip a class like three times in a row and then you're like ah fuck i can't just randomly show up now it would be awkward.
— bobby (@bobby) June 3, 2018
Melania still hasn’t been seen. 22 days. It seems ominous. Maybe she just drunk-cut her own bangs and doesn’t want to upset her fans. I’ve done that plenty of times!!!
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) June 3, 2018
Some of them referenced TV shows (like Stranger Things) or movies (like Home Alone, Gone Girl, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Avengers: Infinity War).
CONSPIRACY THEORY: Melania Trump is in the Upside Down & it's such a relaxing chance of pace, she's staying there.
— Aparna Nancherla 🇵🇸 (@aparnapkin) June 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/blainecapatch/status/1003286910599512065
This joint Trump/Melania press conference should silence the conspiracy theorists pic.twitter.com/O3ng5G80GH
— Eric Allen Hatch (@ericallenhatch) June 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/bobbyfinger/status/1003387568577220608
https://twitter.com/ldrinkh20/status/1003389061481066497
I'll do you one better, WHY is Melania?
— 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕞𝕠 (@ramdonomo) June 4, 2018
Even literary plots were posited:
Disgusted by so-called “leftists” promoting conspiracy theories that Melania died. She isn’t dead, she was merely transformed into a giant bug whose grotesque visage is too terrifying for the public to behold.
— Virgil Texas (@virgiltexas) June 4, 2018
While other people on Twitter feared the worst:
1. Melania hasn't been seen in 24 days.
2. Giuliani says Trump can pardon himself for any crime.
I'm just saying..
— Deniz S. (@MrFilmkritik) June 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1003024748299710466
https://twitter.com/Rschooley/status/1003403252723900416
Does this tweet seems suspicious to anyone else? pic.twitter.com/aviQcvMuFt
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) June 4, 2018
But others approached the missing FLOTUS with levity.
Maybe Melania plagiarized Michelle Obama and moved out of the White House.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) June 3, 2018
I can’t believe Melania was canceled after one season
— Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) June 4, 2018
melania tried to shoot chief keith
— matt romey (@mattromney2016) June 3, 2018
When Melania comes out, if she sees her shadow that means we have 6 more weeks of the Mueller investigation.
— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) June 3, 2018
And some grew wistful imagining what could happen if Melania Trump hired Stormy Daniels’ lawyer.
https://twitter.com/andylassner/status/1003016397180375041
Despite all that, it seems Melania Trump will be demonstrating some proof of life later today, which might put the kibosh on some of these Twitter conspiracies. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
https://twitter.com/GMPaiella/status/1003417355756634112