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Melania Joins Trump Amid Cheating Scandals as Family Leaves D.C. Ahead of March for Our Lives

As half a million students head to Washington, D.C. on Saturday for the March for Our Lives rally, President Donald Trump skipped town to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida.

The 71-year-old former Celebrity Apprentice host was photographed alongside wife Melania Trump and their 12-year-old son Baron Trump disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport late Friday evening.

Their family trip also comes as Donald is embroiled in allegations that he had affairs with two women, porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, while married to Melania in 2006. The White House has denied both affairs.

Earlier in the day, the first lady chose to leave the White House on Friday without her husband — again. Though the official White House schedule stated that the first couple planned to depart the White House together aboard Marine One to Joint Base Andrews, Mrs. Trump opted to depart Washington, D.C. solo following her speech honoring “women of courage” at an event on Friday, CNN reported.

Donald Trump departs from the South Lawn of the White House on Marine One, Friday
Donald Trump departs from the South Lawn of the White House on Marine One, Friday
Melania Trump presents a 2018 International Women of Courage Award to Dr. Feride Rushiti of Kosovo
Melania Trump presents a 2018 International Women of Courage Award to Dr. Feride Rushiti of Kosovo

When asked about the change of plans, a rep for the first lady simply told PEOPLE: “Mrs. Trump is here at Mar-a-Lago.”

Meanwhile, the president shared a photo of himself arriving at the Maryland military facility alone on Instagram.

The father of five is expected to remain at Mar-a-Lago for the weekend. The first lady is scheduled to stay for at least a week while Barron is on his spring break vacation.

RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack

On Thursday, CNN aired a headline-making sit-down with McDougal, in which she apologized to the first lady for the alleged 10-month sexual relationship. “What can you say except, I’m sorry? I’m sorry. I wouldn’t want it done to me, I’m sorry,” McDougal, 46, said as she fought back tears. “I know it’s the wrong thing to do.”

McDougal has filed suit against American Media, Inc., the company that owns The National Enquirer, to get out of an agreement blocking her from speaking about her alleged affair with the now-president. Daniels has also sued Trump to end her 2016 nondisclosure agreement on her own alleged relationship with the former businessman.

A source close to Melania recently told PEOPLE that the first lady is “furious” over the nonstop controversies engulfing the White House and her husband’s presidency. “What’s happening is exactly what she didn’t want to happen,” the source said. “They’ve literally become like the Kardashians: scandals, divorces, headlines.”

New York City students participating in National Walkout Day on March 14
New York City students participating in National Walkout Day on March 14

RELATED: What to Expect at Saturday’s March for Our Lives as Students Rally Against Gun Violence Nationwide

Meanwhile, Saturday’s March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. will see students calling for legislation “to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.”

The event was planned by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students Jaclyn Corin, Cameron Kasky, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez and Alex Wind within days of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at the Parkland, Florida school, which left 17 of their classmates dead.

Already the event has expanded to include more than 800 “sibling marches” in cities around the world.

RELATED: See Donald Trump’s Less-Than-Brave Moments After Boasting He’d Run Into Parkland School Without Gun

President Trump — who had claimed he would have rushed into the Florida school shooting, even if he wasn’t armed — was reminded of that fact by comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert on Friday.

Hey @realdonaldtrump I thought you said you’d run TOWARD the kids, not away from them!,” Colbert tweeted, linking out to an article about the president’s Mar-a-Lago getaway.

On Saturday afternoon as hundreds of thousands of students and adults took to the streets, a spokesperson for Trump applauded their protests.

“We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today,” the spokesperson said. “Keeping our children safe is a top priority of the President’s, which is why he urged Congress to pass the Fix NICS and STOP School Violence Acts, and signed them into law. Additionally, on Friday, the Department of Justice issued the rule to ban bump stocks following through on the President’s commitment to ban devices that turn legal weapons into illegal machine guns.”

The STOP School Violence Act would provide grants to state and local governments to improve security at schools with the use of metal detectors and other security measures. The Fix NICS act aims to improve to submission of mental health and criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as well as other amendments to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Neither acts have been fully voted on by Congress and neither have been signed into law yet by Trump.