'Missing in action': Analyst sees Trump's 'family man' defense killed by Melania's absence

The failure of Melania Trump to make an appearance at the Manhattan courtroom where her husband Donald is facing 34 felony counts related to paying off an adult film star is hurting his defense in multiple ways. As Marcotte noted, Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche attempted to paint his client as an average married man no different than any other who was concerned about how revelations about his alleged affair would impact his family. Add to that, with Melania nowhere in sight, Trump's legal team would be hard-pressed to use the so-called "John Edwards defense," which has been proven to be effective in the past. Edwards was ultimately acquitted, in part because he successfully argued the payments were more about hiding his secret from his dying wife than helping him win an election," she wrote before suggesting, "It's hard to sell Trump as a loving family man who regrets his adultery when the family in question is missing in action." Returning to the Blanche defense, she continued, "So there was an opportunity to trick the jury into believing Trump is, as Blanche said, 'a person just like you,' before dryly adding, " The fact that during the first days of his first criminal trial, Trump can't scrounge up one person from his rather large family to stand by his side?