'The Reclusive First Lady' Melania Appoints Close Aide Harrison as East Wing Chief of Staff

Melania Trump, who has returned as First Lady after four years, has appointed her longtime close aide Haley Harrison as her chief of staff.

The 'Melania Trump Office,' the transition team for the First Lady's office, announced on the 22nd (local time) via X (formerly Twitter), "Harrison has played an essential role and demonstrated exceptional leadership on the First Lady (Melania) team for the past seven years," adding, "She will serve as chief of staff with a unique understanding of White House operations, strategically communicating with other government departments and overseeing and managing the East Wing team (the White House building where the First Lady and her staff have their offices)."

AP Yonhap News

This is the first time Melania Trump has announced East Wing personnel following Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. Harrison has been a key close aide and staff member to Melania since the first Trump administration.

However, it remains uncertain whether Melania, who has appointed her top aide, will reside full-time at the White House. Earlier, CNN reported citing sources that Melania is expected to break with long-standing tradition and decline to fully move into the White House. Instead of settling there, she is anticipated to live a lifestyle commuting between New York, Florida, and Washington D.C. During Trump’s first term, Melania also broke political tradition by not moving into the White House immediately, staying in New York for six months.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Melania said, "I have been in the White House before and know the life there well," adding, "This time it will be different because I have more experience and knowledge." Known as the "reclusive First Lady" for rarely appearing in public, Melania has seldom left the White House except for launching the 'Be Best' campaign in May 2018, which focused on drug prevention and combating online hate and discrimination against children. She appeared at the Republican National Convention in July, where Trump was officially nominated as the presidential candidate, but did not take the stage.