Melania Trump's Appearance at Mar-a-Lago Event Celebrated by MAGA

Supporters of former President Donald Trump have reacted positively to an appearance by his wife at a campaign event hosted in his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence on Saturday night.

Users of X, formerly Twitter, described the former first lady as "looking gorgeous and stunning," as "stunningly beautiful" and the "epitome of grace and elegance" after footage emerged of her attending a gala put on by the Trumpettes fan club.

Her appearance with her husband following a rally in South Carolina as he campaigns in the state's Republican primary was a relatively rare public sighting.

Melania Trump has not been present for many of Donald Trump's campaign events, and was recently absent from family get-togethers over the holiday period while tending to her then-ill mother.

The former president confirmed Melania Trump had been with her mother, Amalija Knavs, in hospital over the festive period in a New Year's Eve speech. Knavs died the following month, and a private funeral was held in Florida on January 19 in which the former first lady described her mother as "the epitome of elegance and grace."

Having led a life largely out of the gaze of media scrutiny before Donald Trump's foray into politics, those close to the former first lady have intimated that since leaving the White House, she returned to relative seclusion, spending most of her time with their son, Barron Trump.

In an interview with Fox News in January, though, Donald Trump said his wife would be a "very active" part of his 2024 presidential campaign who he relied on for advice. "She's very smart, a very compassionate person," he said.

"For all of the 'Where's Melania' haters, I found her. She's at her house at Mar-a-Lago looking hot with her husband," Laura Loomer, a conservative commentator, wrote on Saturday evening. "She looks amazing too. A supportive wife supporting her super star husband who crushed it today in SC!"

"Where's Melania?" Adam Veinoitte, a former staffer on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, said. "She's right here a*******."

"Sweet moment tonight with Melania & Trump," Brian Clowdus, who ran unsuccessfully in a Republican primary for a Florida representative seat in 2022, wrote. "Could she be any more stunning? Looking forward to seeing her on the campaign trail!"

Since Donald Trump began his latest presidential run, some commentators have questioned Melania Trump's apparent absence from public events. While some have speculated she may have been distancing herself from the campaign, others have suggested she was remaining out of the spotlight while her husband fends off several legal challenges.