Where Were the Cutesy Tweets from Melania and Donald Trump on Their 13th Wedding Anniversary?
January 23, 2018
Past presidents and first ladies have often taken to social media to celebrate their birthdays and wedding anniversaries, giving the American people rare glimpses into their private lives and marriages.
But here again, the Trumps have bucked tradition.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump marked their 13th wedding anniversary on Monday, but neither celebrated the occasion on social media.
Trump did fire off a few tweets that day, but only to slam Democrats on Capitol Hill over the deal to reopen the government following a brief shutdown. “Big win for Republicans as Democrats cave on Shutdown,” he wrote late Monday.
Mrs. Trump’s most recent tweet came on another commemorative day — the one-year anniversary of her husband’s inauguration. “This has been a year filled with many wonderful moments,” the first lady tweeted Saturday. “I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve been lucky enough to meet throughout our great country & the world!”
The first lady’s tweet included a photo of herself — notably not with her husband but with a military escort.
According to The Washington Post, the Trumps were not spotted celebrating in Washington, D.C., on Monday night either, though the newspaper noted that the couple rarely dine outside the White House when they’re in town. It also seems unlikely that the Trumps will have a belated celebration, considering the first lady just cancelled plans to join her husband on his upcoming trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Mrs. Trump’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told PEOPLE that the first lady cancelled the trip due to “too many scheduling and logistical issues.”
The lack of Twitter love on the Trumps’ anniversary was a stark contrast to Barack and Michelle Obama’s social media messages on the former first lady’s birthday last week.
Mrs. Obama took to her Instagram on Wednesday to show off flowers and card she received from her husband, while he marked the day with a sweet photo post on his Instagram.
“You’re not only my wife and the mother of my children, you’re my best friend,” the former president wrote. “I love your strength, your grace, and your determination. And I love you more each day.”
A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on
On their 25th wedding anniversary in October, Obama surprised his wife with a romantic video message during her talk with Shonda Rhimes at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in Philadelphia.
“The idea that you would put up with me for a quarter of a century is a remarkable testament to what a saintly, wonderful, patient person you are,” he told his wife at the time.
The former first couple have marked their wedding anniversaries and birthdays on social media many times through the years, as have former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and their wives.