Jill Biden says Melania Trump dodged questions about Barron, would only talk about weather during awkward inauguration ride
In her new memoir A View from the East Wing, Jill Biden recounts an uneasy car ride with Melania Trump on Inauguration Day 2025. Jill describes how the incoming first lady avoided most questions and steered the conversation toward small talk about the weather.
The limo ride from the White House to the Capitol was one of the few times the two women had spent extended time together, aside from brief encounters at funerals.
Jill noted that John Bessler, husband of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, was assigned as a chaperone to ease the tension, though his attempts at conversation met with short replies from Melania.
According to Jill, Melania spoke briefly about her son Barron, mentioning his enrollment at NYU and his life in Trump Tower under Secret Service protection.
When asked about pets, Melania said Barron had declined her suggestion of getting a dog. Jill tried to join Melania’s “weather-only program” by commenting on military dogs braving the cold along the route.
The memoir also recalls Melania mentioning her father’s grief after her mother’s death, but otherwise keeping answers minimal.
Jill interpreted Melania’s distance as partly stemming from resentment over the FBI’s 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, which Melania blamed on Joe Biden.
Jill contrasts this chilly interaction with the Bidens’ efforts to restore tradition during the 2024 transition, noting that while Donald Trump met with Joe Biden, Melania declined Jill’s invitation to the White House.
Jill had sent a handwritten letter instead, offering help with the process. Reflecting on the strained relationship, Jill expressed compassion for Melania, acknowledging the distress of having federal agents search private spaces, something she herself experienced in 2023.
Ultimately, Jill portrays the ride as emblematic of the distance between the two first ladies, despite attempts at civility.
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