Melania Trump Claims Barack and Michelle Obama Made It ‘Challenging’ for Her and Donald To Move Into White House

Former and future first lady Melania Trump has criticized Barack and Michelle Obama for making her and Donald‘s first move into the White House “challenging,” accusing the former first couple of “withholding” information that would have smoothed the transition between administrations.

Melania, 54, spoke out about her upcoming return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in an interview with Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt, revealing that she has already “packed” her bags and “selected the furniture” that she and President-elect Trump will be taking with them when they move back into the iconic home.

“The first time was challenging [because] we didn’t have much information,” she claimed. “The information was [withheld] from us by the previous administration.”

Melania explained that having ample information ahead of time is integral to a smooth transition between the outgoing and incoming presidents, because the team tasked with completing the changeover between White House residents has just five hours in which to move one family out and another family in.

“Everything needs to be planned to the minute,” she shared.

The mother of one went on to note that she expects her second move to be much easier because she and Donald are much more prepared—hinting that outgoing President Joe Biden‘s staff have been more helpful than she feels the Obamas’ team was.

“This time I have everything, it’s a very different transition this time, the second time around,” she added. “I know where I’m going. I know the rooms where we’ve been living. I know the process.”

Donald and Melania will move back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, the same day that the new President is inaugurated, marking the official start of his second term in office.

Interestingly, former first lady Obama has confirmed that she will not attend the ceremony—breaking with a longstanding tradition that traditionally sees all living former Presidents and their partners present at the inauguration of a new political leader. Some have viewed Michelle’s decision to skip the event as a clear signal that she does not support or approve of Trump being appointed president.

Although Michelle’s spokesperson did not reveal a reason for her absence at the inauguration, simply stating that she would not attend with her husband, sources claimed to People that the mother of two does not wish to “pretend for protocol’s sake.”

“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake,” an insider claimed. “Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s protocol or it’s tradition.”

Michelle was in attendance at Donald’s first inauguration in January 2017; however, in recent months, she has taken a sizable step back from official engagements, including former President Jimmy Carter‘s funeral on Jan. 9, which she neglected to attend.

At the time, her spokesperson said that she was unable to join Barack at the funeral because she was on an extended vacation in Hawaii and had a “scheduling conflict,” according to CNN.

As for Melania, she told Fox News that she expects her role in her husband’s second presidency to be different for a number of reasons, not least the easier move that she expects will take place.

She noted that when it comes to her priorities, she is looking forward to “serving the country” but said she also wants to continue focusing on her role as a wife and mother to her son, Barron, who is currently in his freshman year at New York University.

She added that she plans to split her time between Washington, DC, New York, and Mar-a-Lago in Florida—where she and Donald have been living since his first presidency came to an end.

“I will be in the White House and when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York,” Melania said. “When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach. But my first priority is to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. Once we are in on January 20, you serve the country.”

In the years since she and her husband left the White House for the first time, Melania has enjoyed a much more low-key lifestyle, basing herself at Donald’s infamous Mar-a-Lago resort, which has served as the couple’s primary residence since September 2019. Prior to that, Donald’s penthouse inside Trump Tower in Manhattan was listed as his main home.

It’s currently unclear how many of Donald’s family members will join him in the return to D.C. come January. However, his eldest daughter, Ivanka, has made clear that she will not take up a role in her father’s administration and will instead remain in Miami, where she and her husband, Jared Kushner, own a $24 million mansion on Indian Creek Island.

The couple made the move to Florida as soon as Donald’s first presidency ended and snapped up the expansive property inside the exclusive community, known as “billionaire bunker,” in April 2021—before embarking on a two-year gut renovation of the enormous residence.

Many of the Trump children decided to relocate to the Sunshine State at around the same time, with Don Jr. and his now-former partner, Kimberly Guilfoyle, moving into a sizable mansion in Jupiter, FL, which is where Eric and Lara Trump also own a home.

Meanwhile Donald’s younger daughter, Tiffany, opted to move to West Palm Beach with her husband, Michael Boulos.

Currently, none of President-elect Trump’s children have been appointed to a role within his administration; however, Guilfoyle has been named as Donald’s pick for the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, amid multiple reports that her former fiancé, Don Jr., has moved on from their relationship with a new woman, socialite Bettina Anderson.