President Donald Trump‘s infamous indirect jabs have yet again caught media attention. This time, though, not for a fellow political leader but his wife, Melania Trump! Reportedly, the 78-year-old just returned from his highly publicized Middle East Trip, which was marked by an offbeat grocery-related rant that some say reflected his age more than policy.
Upon return to the White House, Trump got into a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19, 2025. Later that day, he appeared in the Rose Garden with First Lady Melania Trump — a rare public appearance for her during his second term — to sign a bill into law.
“Putin said he has great respect for my wife,” — Trump
“I jokingly replied: ‘What about me?’ Seems like he likes Melania more than he likes me,” the U.S. president added.
🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/hAVyRHcvIv
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 19, 2025
As per The List, while introducing his better half, he took a jab and said, “Putin just said ‘they respect your wife a lot.’ I said, ‘What about me?’ They like Melania better… I don’t know if that was good,” he joked. It wasn’t fully clear whether “they” referred to Russians or Americans, but Trump continued, “I’m OK with it. I’m OK.”
Despite the chuckles that followed, the comment seemed more self-centered than pointed towards Melania. While Trump confirmed nothing, tabloids and eagle-eyed fans suggested that Donald Trump’s comments come from deep-rooted insecurity.
His remark repeated previous moments, like when he shared an AI image of himself as the pope, inflicting a constant need for attention from the media, as well as his inner circles or work associates. Meanwhile, online users pointed out his remarks as a classic case of male supremacy over his wife.
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One user on X (formerly Twitter) said, “Tough break when the dictator is into your wife and you broadcast your envy to the world.” At the same time, another joked, “Melania likes Putin more than Donald.” However, another user had an entirely different opinion; he speculated that the comment wasn’t about Melania but a deliberate move by President Putin, who indirectly hinted to Trump that people did not like him.
He was putting Trump on the back foot because he knows how fragile Trump’s ego is,” one user wrote. Another summed it up simply: “It’s always ‘what about me’ with him.”
Consequently, Donald Trump, who, as we know, is a firm believer in peace and maintaining diplomatic relations between nations, had actively claimed he was close to establishing a ceasefire that would lead to peaceful relations and ease the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, but after his brief phone call with Putin, yielded no visible progress.
Several media reports and lip readers have analyzed and written about the ever-evolving dynamics in Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship. With sudden divorce buzzes at times, the couple has often portrayed a very confusing media image.
Tough break when the dictator is into your wife and you broadcast your envy to the world
— Ilyas Ibrahim Mohamed (@iiliyaa) May 19, 2025
Whether it’s a deliberate PR stunt to stay relevant or simply the reality remains unknown. Yet, author Michael Wolff, in the book titled ‘All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America,’ talked about the husband-wife duo. He wrote that Melania’s nature was unusual, and it seemed like the couple’s marriage was transactional and staged.
People were shocked that she did not show up at major campaign events, including the infamous rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where an assassination attempt on Trump later took place on September 15, 2024. Furthermore, Wolff also talked about the September 2023 interview with Megyn Kelly, where Donald Trump was uncomfortable and unprepared to answer questions related to his wife.
Even though people were rather clear since Trump’s first term that Melania isn’t interested in being the conventional First Lady who would diligently do her duties and show up at events, the First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump’s dynamics have no definite conclusion.
