Melania Trump joined a highly exclusive club on Jan. 20--the one comprising first ladies of the United States.
It's a varied bunch of women (it's still only women) who have stood beside the president of the United States. Wives, daughters, and in-laws have played the role of the first lady of the land.
Melania Trump is the second immigrant to join the sisterhood. And she has thus far approached the role with caution. There have been no announcements of staff for her--no chief of staff, no communications director, no social secretary.
She was lovely and gracious and typically reserved on inauguration day. She arrived at the White House on the morning of Jan. 20 with a gift for Michelle Obama wrapped in a Tiffany blue box that matched her cashmere coat and dress by Ralph Lauren. No word from either the Trump or Obama staff on what the box contained but one guess is a picture frame, given the box's shape and size.
In a remarked contrast, Michelle Obama's coolness about the day was written across her face. A fierce campaigner for Hillary Clinton and a fiery critic of Donald Trump, the outgoing first lady had no smile and a tight expression on her face as she left the White House with Melania Trump and then throughout the ceremony at the Capitol. She flashed a rare smile to Hillary Clinton and to President George W. Bush, to whom she is close.
First lady historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony told RealClearPolitics that it was the bond of first ladyhood that brought Michelle Obama out to campaign for Hillary Clinton.
"It read to me as 'I really understand what she's been through,'" he said.
After the swearing-in ceremony as the Obamas prepared to board the Marine One helicopter on the Capitol grounds, Michelle hugged Melania, but she only offered the new president her hand. He kissed her on both cheeks. It's believed to be one of the few contacts they've had since the campaign, when Mrs. Obama slammed Trump--though not by name--for his comments about women. And in a rare move for Trump, who showed no fear in criticizing anyone who spoke against him, he stayed silent on the then-first lady.
There were four former first ladies at the handover of power: Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Rosalynn Carter.
It was Clinton's day too, but hardly in the way she wanted. The former first lady, senator from New York and secretary of state had all eyes on her as she watched her rival take the oath for the office she twice ran for.
Clinton's day was summed up in one split-screen shot blasted across the news networks early that morning: She and Bill Clinton walking hand-in-hand in the basement of the Capitol to attend the inauguration as guests while Obama and Trump, the two men who have denied her the office she sought, left the White House in a limo for their ride along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Now the focus turns to 47-year-old Melania Trump. But it also turns to 36-year-old Ivanka Trump, the oldest daughter of the president.
Questions have been raised about what role each woman will play in the Trump East Wing.
Melania will not move to Washington right away but stay in New York City so her 10-year-old son Barron Trump can finish the school year, raising speculation Ivanka will take on many of the ceremonial roles of the first lady.
No formal role has been announced for the first daughter, whose husband, Jared Kushner, will be a senior adviser in the West Wing.
But she shot down talk she'd overshadow her stepmother.
"I think it's an inappropriate observation," Ivanka told ABC News last week when asked if she'd be first lady. "There is one first lady, and she'll do remarkable things."
But Ivanka has laid out priorities of her own for her father's time in the White House: policies to promote women and ones focused on children.
In contrast, little has been heard from Melania. In one of her rare campaign appearances, she said she would focus on women's issues and work to eliminate cyber bullying, but there have been no follow-up announcements.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who was a member of Trump's transition committee, told RealClearPolitics recently that she had not spoken to the incoming first lady, but she had spoken to Ivanka.
"I have talked with Ivanka primarily about the legislation that we're going work on dealing with families and child care, tax incentives, dependent care, things of that nature," she said.
Historian Anthony pointed out first lady-daughter tag teams have been common throughout White House history: Margaret Truman often accompanied her mother, Bess Truman, on official events while Julie Nixon filled in for Pat Nixon, who wearied of the intense press coverage that came as the Watergate scandal worsened.
But no matter how stepmother and stepdaughter decide what their respective roles will be, the former will have the support of those who came before her.
"Women who are incumbent first ladies or recently might have left the White House oftentimes do form a very close bond with the sort of a senior member of the club," Anthony said. "For example, Hillary Clinton was very close to Lady Bird Johnson. At Betty Ford's funeral, Rosalynn Carter delivered the eulogy. And the two of them, even though their husbands ran against one another in '76, became very close."
Emily Goodin is the managing editor of RealClearPolitics.
Editorial on 01/29/2017