Melania Trump Gets Major Props From Mainstream Outlet

Former, and incoming, First Lady Melania Trump is sitting comfortably atop the rankings of America’s most powerful women, according to a mainstream publication that hasn’t always been friendly to the sweetheart of President-elect Donald Trump.

From the White House to statehouses across the country, female politicians, aides, and family members are breaking barriers on their way to record participation in the American government. Melania, who is remembered fondly by most voters for her crusades to eliminate bullying in schools and encourage legal immigration, hasn’t always been at the forefront of such lists. However, with her husband set to return to power in 2025, Melania is, by all measures, going to hold greater sway than ever before.

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She is among the cohort of female leaders in the second Trump administration recognized by the Daily Mail in its annual ranking of the most powerful individuals in the U.S. There, she sits alongside influential figures like Susan Wiles, set to be the first female White House chief of staff, North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Secretary, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, who is nominated for U.S. attorney general, and former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, the president-elect’s pick to lead the Department of Education. Karoline Leavitt, 27, also made the list as she is expected to become the youngest-ever White House press secretary. Alina Habba, Trump’s most trusted legal advisor who guided him through multiple criminal trials, will be his new administration’s lead counsel.

But even as Melania rises above the pack, a body language expert told the Mail that he sees mixed feelings in the first lady about her return to the White House. She appeared with her husband above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this month to ring the opening bell, the same day he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine as its Person of the Year. She will be looked to for guidance by younger female staff members like Natalie Harp, 33, Trump’s “human printer” who always has a hard copy of the latest news for him. Elise Stefanik, the combative former New York Congresswoman, is nominated to serve as ambassador to the United Nations at just 40 years old.

Across the nation, the number of female governors will hit a record high in 2025 as a result of the November elections. New Hampshire elected Republican Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte after Chris Sununu, its current Republican governor, declined to seek another term. Even with Noem resigning her governorship to head DHS, there will be a record 13 female governors next year. And although the number of congresswomen in the 119th Congress will not be at its highest, there are signs that female politicians are making inroads in Washington among new electorates. North Dakota voters chose Republican Julie Fedorchak, who will serve as the state’s first female congresswoman in January. Several state legislatures will enjoy a majority of female lawmakers as well. Among them is Nevada, where nearly 62% of incoming lawmakers are female, with similar majorities reported in Colorado (52%) and New Mexico (54%).

While approximately half of Democratic candidates are female, just 15% of Republican candidates are, a sign that the GOP may increase its appeal to female voters in the future if more women run under its banner.

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