WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former first lady Melania Trump will attend a fundraiser Saturday for the Log Cabin Republicans, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ members of the GOP, in a rare political appearance after months away from her campaign man .
She shares the event at the Palm Beach estate with the former president Donald Trump will take place behind closed doors. But it will be the former first lady’s first major political event this year.
Melania Trump had not appeared at her husband’s campaign events for months, and was notably absent from his victory party on Super Tuesday. Her presence at the fundraiser — for a group she has previously supported — could be a sign that she will step up her agenda as there are still several months to go before the November election.
Both Trumps voted together last month during the Florida primaries. When a reporter asked if she would return to the campaign trail, she replied with a smile, “Stay tuned.”
The former first lady then attended a high-profile fundraiser at hedge fund billionaire John Paulson’s Palm Beach home, where she was photographed with her husband in front of the ocean-view mansion.
The group Log Cabin Republicans describes itself on its website as the “county’s largest organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies who support fairness, freedom and equality for all Americans.” Melania Trump was a special guest and recipient of the organization’s 2021 Spirit of Lincoln award at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
The Log Cabin Republicans posted on X on Friday thanking Melania Trump for her message in a Fox News Digital interview.
“We must unite in our efforts to establish a society where equality is the daily experience of every American,” Melania Trump said in the interview.
In a 2020 endorsement of the former president for his re-election bid, Log Cabin Republicans described Trump as having a “commitment to governing from a place of inclusion.” In this endorsement, the group praised Trump for his “commitment to end the spread of HIV/AIDS” and his initiative to “end the criminalization of homosexuality internationally.”
Still, critics often criticize Trump’s record on LGBTQ+ issues. During his presidency, he nominated justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, including Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who were criticized by liberal advocates for LGBTQ+ people.
Trump also faced national criticism in 2017 when he announced the banning of transgender people from military service, even though about 15,000 transgender people had been enlisted at the time. In 2019, he banned U.S. embassies from displaying the rainbow or pride flag during Pride Month.
During his campaign, Trump has repeatedly mocked transgender people with language about gender identity that LGBTQ+ critics call harmful. He has played a young athlete who struggles to lift heavy barbells, compared to other competitors who have “transitioned.”
In campaign speeches, he has touted his pledge to cut federal funding for schools, fueling what he calls “transgender madness.”
Some additional promises Trump has made during his rallies include banning federal money from going to hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors, or ending any program that promotes sex or gender transition. He has also pledged to push Congress to ban chemical or surgical procedures on minors.
