Melania Trump defended her controversial renovation work in the White House as a new poll showed she is leaving with a lower approval rating than that of the three first ladies who proceeded her.
She will depart on Wednesday with 47 per cent approval of her tenure, 12 points less than Michelle Obama who left a 69 per cent approval rating of her job as first lady, according to a CNN/ORC poll.
Laura Bush exited the White House with a 67 per cent approval rating and Hillary Clinton was at 56 per cent upon her departure as first lady.
Melania Trump’s approval rating, however, is much higher than her husband’s – by double digits. Only 33 per cent approve of the job President Donald Trump has done.
First ladies traditionally have higher poll numbers than their husbands given their roles is much less political.
But Melania Trump, 50, has taken a low-key approach to the job compared to her predecessors. She has spent her final days in the White House out of sight, packing up the family belongings and preparing for the next chapter in their lives.