Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush returned to the spotlight during the “One World Together At Home” Global Citizen fundraising concert Saturday night, which benefited the World Health Organization in their fight against the novel coronavirus.
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As the former first ladies praised the work of medical workers and essential employees around the world, many noticed that current first lady Melania Trump was missing from the special.
Sources close to Melania told Inside Edition she was allegedly not invited to participate. They said that it might because the concert was held to support the WHO, which the Trump Administration has attacked as being pro-China.
In February, the U.N. agency's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "I know there is a lot of pressure on WHO when we appreciate what China is doing but because of pressure we should not fail to tell the truth. We don't say anything to appease anyone. It's because it's the truth."
Trump’s third wife has received harsh criticism for her seemingly reserved role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Country Could Use a First Lady. But Melania Trump Has Gone AWOL,” a recent Daily Beast headline read. Melania was last seen outside the White House March 10 when she spoke at a teachers convention.
"It’s hard not to be 'AWOL' while in a pandemic, but she’s been doing PSAs, video messages, and heavy social media in the meantime – which is the responsible thing to do," a source from the Trump administration told Inside Edition.
The first lady has been active on social media by thanking essential workers and providing resources for families and sharing recorded public service announcements.
"I think she's doing exactly what Donald Trump wants her to do at all times, especially in this case and I think that is minimal interaction because what they want to do is minimize this," Nina Burleigh, author of “Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women,” told Inside Edition. "I think you could conceivably believe that she is holed up with Barron and her parents and she doesn't want to be involved anymore than she has to be."
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