Update: Melania Trump has appointed Lindsay Reynolds, a George W. Bush administration veteran, as chief of staff to the first lady and assistant to the president, according to a press release from the White House.
This story was originally published on January 31, 2017, at 12:20 p.m.
First lady Melania Trump has yet to hire for several key positions on her staff, including chief of staff, communications director, and press secretary, according to reports from The Washington Post. Whom she has hired: her longtime friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a New York party planner who will reportedly serve as a senior adviser. The administration has also not yet named a social secretary, a job that most previous presidents have filled before Inauguration Day. The first lady has largely stayed out of the spotlight since Donald Trump's swearing-in, attending a prayer service the day after the inauguration and returning home to New York City soon after. She's sent one tweet from her new @FLOTUS account, which says she is "deeply honored to serve this wonderful country as First Lady!" During the campaign, she expressed interest in getting involved in anti-cyberbullying efforts — and political experts are eagerly waiting for her to make her mark. "There’s a public expectation for communication, and she’s not providing it," Lauren Wright, a political scientist and author of On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today, told The Washington Post. "It’s interesting that there doesn’t seem to be a willingness to shape her public image, despite the public interest." She is entering the White House with the lowest favorability rating of any modern first lady — although a quarter of people haven't quite made up their minds. A January 16 Gallup poll shows that 37% of the public had a favorable view of her, 37% viewed her unfavorably, and 26% had no opinion. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama had a 68% favorability rating during the same time, Laura Bush's rating was 56%, and Hillary Clinton's was 59%.
This story was originally published on January 31, 2017, at 12:20 p.m.
First lady Melania Trump has yet to hire for several key positions on her staff, including chief of staff, communications director, and press secretary, according to reports from The Washington Post. Whom she has hired: her longtime friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a New York party planner who will reportedly serve as a senior adviser. The administration has also not yet named a social secretary, a job that most previous presidents have filled before Inauguration Day. The first lady has largely stayed out of the spotlight since Donald Trump's swearing-in, attending a prayer service the day after the inauguration and returning home to New York City soon after. She's sent one tweet from her new @FLOTUS account, which says she is "deeply honored to serve this wonderful country as First Lady!" During the campaign, she expressed interest in getting involved in anti-cyberbullying efforts — and political experts are eagerly waiting for her to make her mark. "There’s a public expectation for communication, and she’s not providing it," Lauren Wright, a political scientist and author of On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today, told The Washington Post. "It’s interesting that there doesn’t seem to be a willingness to shape her public image, despite the public interest." She is entering the White House with the lowest favorability rating of any modern first lady — although a quarter of people haven't quite made up their minds. A January 16 Gallup poll shows that 37% of the public had a favorable view of her, 37% viewed her unfavorably, and 26% had no opinion. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama had a 68% favorability rating during the same time, Laura Bush's rating was 56%, and Hillary Clinton's was 59%.