First lady Melania Trump appeared with President Trump at an gathering honoring Gold Star Families early Monday evening at the White House. The occasion was a closed press event featuring a reception to honor those families whose loved ones were killed during military service. The press was not pleased.

Dressed in a black sleeveless dress, Mrs. Trump accompanied her husband to the East Room for the occasion, the space lit with the glow of white pillar candles.

“@POTUS and I were honored to pay tribute to our fallen heroes. Thank you to the Gold Star families that joined us in celebration & remembrance,” Mrs. Trump tweeted in the aftermath.

The media, however, had been covering the dignified event hours in advance, emphasizing mysterious elements as they wondered about the whereabouts of Mrs. Trump in recent days. Several publications produced timelines of her “24 day absence” from public view.

“Melania Trump expected to (sort of) show her face on Monday” noted People magazine while a Newsweek headline said “Melania Trump to make first public appearance in weeks — but you won’t be allowed to see it.”

For weeks, the news media has produced dozens of conspiracy-style stories about Mrs. Trump, who has not appeared in public since May 10 following surgery for a kidney disorder. Journalists have explored the possibility that she had moved back to New York City, had marital troubles or was tending to an ailing mother — according to multiple reports.

“I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I’m doing. Rest assured, I’m here at the White House w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!” Mrs. Trump tweeted to her 10.5 million followers late last week — a message which was re-tweeted close to 200,000 times.

Mrs. Trump has opted not to attend two overseas events — the Group of Seven meeting in Canada and the much-publicized North Korean summit.

NBC News correspondent Jonathan Allen took a policy angle in an analysis titled “Why Melania Trump’s vanishing act matters,” implying that the White House is now short-handed.

“At a time when he’s slapped allies with new tariffs, President Trump could use all the help he can get on that score. But for the moment, one of his chief diplomatic partners is sticking to the sidelines,” Mr. Allen wrote.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.