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Trump wishes wife Melania happy birthday, but will he skip celebrations at Florida amid NY trial?

US former first lady Melania Trump turned 54 on Friday, April 26, amid her husband's ongoing New York hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal court.

Updated on: Apr 26, 2024, 22:27:38 IST
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US former first lady Melania Trump turned 54 on Friday, April 26, amid her husband's ongoing New York hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal court.

On the occasion, Donald Trump wished his wife Melania a very happy birthday, but added that the courthouse was deliberately being kept at 'freezing temperatures'. (AFP)
On the occasion, Donald Trump wished his wife Melania a very happy birthday, but added that the courthouse was deliberately being kept at 'freezing temperatures'. (AFP)

On the occasion, Trump wished his wife a very happy birthday, but added that the courthouse was deliberately being kept at 'freezing temperatures'.

After arriving inside the Manhattan Criminal court, the former US president told reporters, "I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a very happy birthday. Would be nice to be with her but I'm at a courthouse for a rigged trial."

“Everybody knows it. Yesterday was a big day. But I do have to begin by wishing Melania happy birthday. She's in Florida,” he added.

Will Trump head to Florida to celebrate Melania's birthday?

Trump announced that he will be heading to Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach to spend time with Melania after the first week of his trial of "horrible, unconstitutional case" ends on Friday.

“I’ll be going there this evening after this case finishes up — this horrible, unconstitutional case,” he said.

He then voiced his grievances with his prosecution on 34 charges of fabricating business documents in connection with $130,000 'hush' payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. The payment was made to buy her silence on an alleged affair before the 2016 general election.

"It should be over. The case is over," the GOP leader remarked.

Also Read: Here's how Donald Trump is about to pocket $1.2 billion amid mounting legal woes

Trump's lawyers are set start the cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who had testified about a covert 'agreement' with Trump to suppress negative media coverage about him.

After describing Judge Juan Merchan as "extremely conflicted," the presumptive Republican presidential candidate for 2024 elections returned to criticising the atmosphere in the courtroom, implying that it was a calculated strategy.

“I'm sitting here for days now, from morning 'til night, in that freezing room. Freezing. Everybody was freezing in there,” Trump stated.

Melania is yet to appear in court

Trump is accused of having a one-night stand with adult film star Daniels, while Melania was expecting their son, Barron Trump.

The ex-president, however, has denied all the allegations and the 34 felony counts brought against him.

Also Read: Trump's White House lawyer shocked at ex-President's ‘Charlottesville reference’, calls it a political suicide

Melania has not appeared in court since the trial started on April 15. Citing sources, the Seattle Times stated that Melania privately referred to the proceedings as a "disgrace" and equated the trial to “election interference.”

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More