And she was not seen Friday boarding the helicopter that shuttled the president, Donald Trump Jr, and daughters Ivanka and Tiffany to Camp David for a weekend retreat.
Trump also told reporters before the Naval Academy commencement on May 25 that the first lady is "doing great", and her longtime friend, Paolo Zampolli, said she seems to be "recovering well".
Wild theories began to circulate online, including that Mrs Trump had moved back to NY with their son, Barron, or that she was co-operating with special counsel Robert Mueller.
Mrs. Trump was last seen in public on May 10.
The rumors surrounding her absence ranged from suggestions she had plastic surgery to speculation that she moved out of the White House and back to NY.
"What has happened to Melania Trump?" read a Newsweek headline.
The First Lady's lack of recent viewings, prior to Monday's event, has created a storm of "where is she?" memes on the internet and speculation on her whereabouts.
Since then, the media and others have floated all kinds of theories about what might explain her brief inaccessibility. The reception is not open to the press, the White House added.
In a statement about the Gold Star families event, Ms. Trump said that it "was a privilege to. recognise our Nation's fallen heroes and their families". But over the past half century, it has become the expectation that people know the basic narrative of the first lady's activities.
Howard Schultz Announces Retirement As Starbucks Executive Chairman
Starbucks shares closed up 0.28 percent at $57.07 in regular Monday trading on the Nasdaq, but were down 1 percent at $56.50. He oversaw the expansion of the chain's food and beverage menu and the growth of its popular loyalty program and mobile app.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau will not get the chance to show off her home province to her American counterpart this week. "She's looking at us right there".
As CNN reported Monday, the president made the retort in response to a reporter asking about the first lady's nearly month-long disappearing act.
Video posted on Twitter showed the first lady wearing a sleeveless black dress and strolling into the East Room accompanied by President Donald Trump.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director, told the Times on Monday that it was "pretty typical" for people to avoid travel after undergoing medical procedures.
You can put away your conspiracy theories, Internet: Melania Trump is okay.
One journalist believes Trump might have written the tweet.
The American first lady is sending her regrets.
First Lady Melania Trump has not been seen in public for 24 days, and now there is word she will not be attending the G7 summit in Quebec or the North Korean summit in Singapore.
