The Debate Wouldn't Be Melania's First Appearance

One of the most high-profile events of the election is creeping up on us: the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The two candidates will meet on stage for the first time in the campaign on Monday at Hofstra University, and it's anybody's guess as to what will unfold once they do. But what will their spouses be doing that night? Will Melania Trump be at the first debate?

Nobody knows, save perhaps Melania and Donald, because the campaign hasn't yet released any information about what Melania will be doing Monday night. Bustle reached out to the campaign for a response, but has not heard back.

That said, it wouldn't be terribly surprising if she was there. In 2012, Ann Romney attended the first debate between her husband and President Obama, and Obama even gave a shout-out to the first lady, who was also in the audience. Both also showed up for the second debate, so it wouldn't be at all unusual for Melania to come support Donald during his very first presidential debate.

The bigger mystery is what exactly will unfold once the two candidates take the stage. The reporting so far suggests that Clinton is preparing extensively for the debates, and that Donald basically isn't preparing much at all. This is very ironic, if true. Clinton has been on the debate stage more than 40 times over the course of her career, and has proved herself a capable debater. Trump has never participated in a presidential debate against just one opponent, as he'd never been a candidate for office until last year.

This has resulted in an asymmetric situation, wherein Clinton's debate style is well-known, but Donald's is a complete mystery. According to CBS, Clinton is preparing to confront two possible versions of Donald: the tempered, moderate Trump we glimpse from time to time, and the offensive one we see the other 90 percent of the time.

Donald said recently that he plans to "be nice" and "very respectful" of Clinton at the forum. However, it bears noting that it's in Trump's interest to keep Clinton in the dark as to which form he'll take, so this ought to be taken with a very large grain of salt.

Clinton and Donald will be the only two candidates at the first debate, which will be moderated by Lester Holt. The topics, as decided upon by the Commission on Presidential Debates, will be "America's Direction," "Achieving Prosperity," and "Securing America."