Has Melania changed her primary residence since leaving the White House?

1. What the reporting actually says: split‑time, with Washington as primary

Contemporary news accounts describe Melania as planning to base herself in Washington during her husband’s second presidency while continuing to divide time among Trump properties in New York and Palm Beach: El País says she “will primarily live in Washington” ^[1] and E! and Metro note she will be “in New York… and Mar‑a‑Lago” when needed ^{[2] [5]}. Those pieces frame her residency not as an exclusive move but as a multi‑home arrangement tied to family and work obligations ^[2].

2. Contradictory signals from insiders: “not likely” to make it permanent

People reported sourcing close to the Trumps who say Melania “is ‘not likely’ to make the White House her permanent residence” and that she may continue to split time chiefly between Florida and New York ^{[3] [4]}. That account presents a competing picture to press statements suggesting Washington will be her base: insiders emphasize personal preference and family priorities—especially her son Barron’s enrollment in NYU—as reasons she may avoid full‑time life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ^[4].

3. What her public statements show — limited, strategic disclosures

When Melania spoke publicly about logistics she emphasized motherhood and pragmatic mobility: she told Fox that Barron will have a room at the White House so he can visit, but also that she’ll be “in New York” or “in Palm Beach” when needed ^{[3] [2]}. Coverage notes she rarely gives interviews and that statements have been tightly controlled, which limits what can be verified beyond her saying she’ll split time among residences ^[1].

4. Historical and institutional context: precedent and optics

Journalists note it is customary for a first lady to live at the White House after an inauguration, and the residence is routinely prepared and staffed for such moves ^{[6] [7]}. But Trump family patterns—having used Mar‑a‑Lago and Trump Tower as principal homes in recent years—give context for a less traditional, multi‑city first‑family lifestyle that some insiders expected before and after the 2024 election ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Early reporting on behavior after the move: absenteeism and critics’ accounts

Longer‑term reporting compiled later in 2025 documented stretches when Melania spent limited time at the White House; for example, The Guardian cited a New York Times tally that during the first 108 days of the second term she spent fewer than 14 days there, a fact used to critique her absence from Washington ^[10]. That reporting lends weight to insider claims she may not make the White House her full‑time home ^[10].

6. What remains unclear or unreported

Available sources do not mention a formal legal change of primary residence (domicile) filed by Melania Trump, nor do they provide a definitive census of nights spent at each property after January 2025; such formal residency shifts would require documentation or sustained public accounting that the cited reporting does not include (not found in current reporting). Sources give a mix of on‑the‑record quotes and anonymous insider assessments rather than a single official declaration of permanent residence ^{[3] [4] [1]}.

7. Bottom line and competing takes

Factually: Melania moved back into the White House in January 2025 and public statements and mainstream outlets describe Washington as her principal base while she continues to travel to New York and Mar‑a‑Lago ^{[1] [2]}. Interpretation divides: insiders quoted by People and earlier reporting say she’s “not likely” to make the White House her permanent residence and will spend considerable time in Florida and New York ^{[3] [4]}. Readers should weigh official, on‑camera remarks against anonymous sources and later watchdog reporting documenting how many days she actually spent in Washington ^[10].