OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former First Lady Melania Trump has openly supported her husband Donald Trump’s third White House bid in what would be his second term should he win next year, but she has also “quietly” taken measures to protect herself and their son, Barron Trump, behind the scenes.
According to sources who spoke to Page Six, she “renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with Donald Trump in advance of his potentially serving a second term in the White House. Over the last year, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a new ‘postnup’ agreement between herself and Donald Trump.”
“This is at least the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marital agreement,” the source said while adding that it is not because she plans on leaving him.
“Melania is most concerned about maintaining and increasing a substantial trust for their son, Barron,” the source said.
The source said that the renegotiated prenup also provides for her and involves money and property.
A different source told Page Six: “I know that she wanted it to provide her with more money, and also — from what I understand — there’s a specific amount at minimum that Barron is supposed to obtain.”
According to the first source, the renegotiation of the agreement was necessary not only because of Trump’s mounting legal battles but also because of the possibility of Trump running for reelection as president.
“This agreement was necessary because of the current legal battles … [Donald] has suffered,” the first source said, which includes a potential payout in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million civil case against the former president and his Trump Organization, as well as a court order that requires him to pay $5 million to author E. Jean Carroll for defamation.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in the latter case and is appealing the verdict.
“Trump remains very rich, but with mounting legal bills and judgments,” and the renegotiated prenup would “provide a more solid future” for Melania and their son should the couple split, one of the sources said.
“It’s not that she threatened to leave him,” the source cautioned. “It’s the underlying idea.”
Previously, sources who spoke to Page Six said that Donald Trump is being comforted by Melania Trump, who has been described as a “secret weapon” to help him get through his ordeals.
“Melania is being credited by his friends with keeping President Trump ‘calm and focused’ amid the hellish week of his being indicted for the third time,” a source close to the former first couple told the outlet. “Friends whisper these last few weeks have been hard on Trump, and although he always presents a tough front, these constant legal assaults are affecting his day-to-day life.”
The source went on to say that the former president eats breakfast daily with Melania and their son Barron and that she “turns the news off at times so they can watch something else together, and she frowns over telephone or social media use at the table.”
Crucially, the source told Page Six that Melania Trump backs her husband’s third bid for the White House.
“She backs his bid for a second term completely and listens to him when he needs someone he can trust,” they reportedly said. “Melania is obsessively private, she never gossips with even her closest friends, so Trump knows when they talk about important things, it’s just between them.”
A recent Washington Post/ABC poll has sent Democrats and members of the mainstream media into panic mode.
In a hypothetical November 2024 matchup, Trump has 51% support, while Biden has 42% – a numerical increase of 3 points for Trump and a decrease of 2 points for Biden from an ABC/Post poll in February, both of which are statistically insignificant.
Biden’s job approval rating is 19 points lower than it should be, and his ratings for handling the economy and immigration are at career lows.
A record number of Americans believe his presidency has made them worse off, three-quarters believe he is too old for another term, and Donald Trump appears to be doing better in retrospect – all of which pose serious challenges for Biden in his reelection campaign.
In the most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, 44% of Americans say they’ve gotten worse off financially under Biden’s presidency, the highest figure for any president in ABC/Post polls since 1986. Only 37% approve of his job performance, while 56% disapprove. 30% approve of Biden’s economic performance.
Biden’s approval rating for handling immigration at the US-Mexico border is even lower, at 23%. In terms of sentiment intensity, 20% strongly approve of his overall work, while 45% strongly disapprove.
And the 74% who believe he is too old for a second term has increased by 6 percentage points since May.
Trump, for one, has matured in retrospect.
When he reluctantly left office in January 2021, 38% approved of his performance as president, which is nearly identical to Biden’s rating now. Looking back, however, 48% approve of Trump’s performance while in office, matching his peak as president.
Almost as many people, 49%, now oppose him, down from 60% when he left the White House.
A comparison to Biden could be a factor.
Among the 56% of Americans who disapprove of Biden’s performance in office, 75% say they approve of Trump in retrospect.
