Melania Trump to make rare appearance at Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for LGBT Republican group

Melania Trump will attend a fundraiser for the pro-LGBT group the Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago later this month, according to a report.

Politico revealed Thursday that the former first lady, known for supporting LGBTQ rights, will help raise money for a group that was banned from the Texas Republican Party.

The April 20 event will also include Trump's former acting director of National Intelligence, Richard Grenell.

Melania Trump's absence from public view has raised questions about the couple's relationship as the former president faces a criminal trial in New York City over hush money he's accused of paying adult film star Stormy Daniels. Their affair began four months after Melania had given birth to their son.

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For months, Trump's campaign has promised his wife would join him on the campaign trail, but appearances, which included voting alongside him during the Florida primary, have been rare.

"Mrs. Trump has maintained ties to the Log Cabin Republicans for years," the New York Times reports. "In a financial disclosure last year, she reported receiving a $250,000 payment from the group in December 2022."

The same month, the group posted a photo of a private dinner invitation with the former first lady, and they thanked her for her "continued support."

Calling itself “the largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies,” the group paid Trump $250,000 for a speaking engagement in Los Angeles last month, according to a Raw Story report.

Trump also spoke at a Log Cabin Republicans event hosted at Mar-a-Lago, where he said, “We are fighting for the gay community, and we are fighting and fighting hard," Politico reported at the time.

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The gay Republican community has not stood behind Trump, with some Log Cabin Republican chapters rejecting endorsements of Trump in 2016 and 2020. Meanwhile, the leader of "Gays for Trump" is telling LGBTQ Republicans to stop focusing on "stupid gray areas," Raw Story reported.

Melania's fundraising event will be one of few public appearances in recent months. Those appearances included a speech at a naturalization ceremony and her attendance at her mother's funeral in January.