Donald Trump steps in to protect Melania from 'vicious' attacks after kidney surgery

Mr Trump expressed his outrage in a tweet, claiming the “Fake News Media” was “vicious” to his wife while she was recovering from surgery, declaring the US First Lady was “doing really well”.

His tweet read: “The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. 

“During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. 

“All Fake, she is doing really well!”

He also tweeted: “Four reporters spotted Melania in the White House last week walking merrily along to a meeting.

“They never reported the sighting because it would hurt the sick narrative that she was living in a different part of the world, was really ill, or whatever. Fake News is really bad!”

The First Lady has kept a low profile following her surgery on May 10 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre near Washington DC, to treat a benign kidney condition, with the surgery described as “relatively minor”. 

Mrs Trump went through an “embolisation procedure” which her office said was “successful” with “no complications”.

The First Lady’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement on the day of Mrs Trump’s surgery: “This morning, first lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. 

“The procedure was successful, and there were no complications.

“Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week. 

“The first lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere.”

She was hospitalised for five days, and her disappearance from the public eye led to a whirlwind of rumours about her health and marriage.

Wild theories begin to circulate online, including allegations that Mrs Trump had moved back to New York with their son, Barron.

On Monday, Mrs Trump crushed rumours about her health as she made her first public appearance at a White House event held for military veterans.

She tweeted a picture of herself at the event, which read: “Honoured to pay a tribute to our fallen heroes”.

On Sunday, the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, confirmed Mrs Trump would not be following her husband, Mr Trump to the G7 summit in Canada this week or attend the scheduled North Korea nuclear summit in Singapore on 12 June.

Last week, Mrs Trump tweeted that the media was “working overtime speculating”, adding: “Rest assured, I’m here at the @WhiteHouse [with] my family, feeling great.”