Melania Trump revealed the details of her first date with Donald Trump, calling the time alone with him nice.
The duo met at a party at New York Citys Kit Kat Club during Fashion Week in 1998. At the time, Melania Knauss was working as a model after immigrating from Slovenia in 1996.
She refused to give him her number but took his.
For their first date, the business tycoon took her to Bedford, New Jersey, because he needed to check out some property he was interested in.
But Melania said it was ‘very nice because we were two of us alone in the car for hour, hour and a half. No other noise, no other people because, at that time, he was already known as a zit celebrity. So it was really nice to be just the two of us.’
She said she felt a connection with him from the start.
‘I love the vision that he had. And the connection that we had. So it was very special,’ she said.
And she described Trump in one word: Caring.
Melania Trump is promoting her memoir Melania, which comes out October 8th
Trump, 54, sat down with Fox News Ainsley Earhardt in New York for a recorded interview, excepts of which aired on Fox and Friends on Thursday morning, as part of her promotion tour for her forth-coming memoir Melania.
In the wide-ranging interview, which was her first in two years, she discussed the 2024 presidential race, her life in the White House, and how being a model prepared her to be first lady of the United States.
It included behind-the-scenes photos, including some never-before seen pictures of Barron Trump.
Trump proposed to Melania in 2004 with a 15-carat ring valued at $1.5 million dollars.
Melania told Fox News that Trump proposed to her on her birthday, which was also the date of that years Met Gala.
First of all it was my birthday as well. And it was the Met Gala. It was all in one. We were already at home. Both of us in black tie. So he proposed that time, she said.
She also said Trump never discussed his political ambitions or hinted that he wanted to be president.
‘No. We didnt discuss at that time, no. But soon later, yes? Soon later. Not that he would be the president but he always was involved in politics. He was very in tune what is going on in the world, especially this country,’ she said.
The notoriously private former first lady also touched on her family life, saying it was hard to tell her 18-year-old son Barron about the assassination attempt on his father and gave some insight into her husband.
She described Donald Trump as a family man. He loves his country. And all he wants is to build better. And prosperous.
And when asked what she loves about him, she said: His- humor, his personality, his kindness, he is very special. His positivity. His energy. Its unbelievable.
She also revealed that he wanted more children but she was fine with just Barron.
I was always perfectly fine. And Donald was encouraging to have more and I said Im completely fine with one because its very busy life. And I know how busy he is. And Im in charge of everything. So, thats why its just perfect, she said.
Donald Trump and then-Melania Knauss in New York in 1998, which is the year they met
Melania Trump also discussed her pride in her son Barron, above she adjusts his tie at the January 2027 inauguration of Donald Trump
When Melania married Donald Trump he had four children from two previous marriages.
She offered her advice to blended families, pointing out you cannot control anyone.
To take the individual as they are. You cannot control anyone. You can control only your own behavior, your own words. Everybodys in control of own self. Im not in control of my husband. Im not in control of his children. Im not even in control of my child. He is his own person. And we all have yes and nos and we all are all individual. Once you live your life with respect and love, thats all that matters, she said.
She spoke with pride about 18-year-old son, who is a freshman at New York Universitys Stern School of Business.
I could not say Im an empty nester. I dont feel that way. I raised Barron as own person and gave his own yes and nos. I respect that it was his decision to come here, she said.
He wants to be New York and study in New York and live in his home. And I respect that. And hes incredible, young man. Im very proud of what he grow up to. His strength, his intelligence. His knowledge. His kindness. Hes enjoying his college days. I hope he will have a great experience because his life is very different than any other 18, 19-year-old child.
Melania Trump also talked about the loss of her mother. Amalija Knavs died in January 2024. Trump is close with her parents, who moved to Washington D.C. during the Trump White House years to help her with Barron.
She was very special woman. Full of warmth, kindness, and her life was incredible, Melania said of her mother.
Once Barron was born, he was her focus. She moved here to the united States to be close to him. And to raise him in one way. Its almost like she was a second mother, especially because of my schedule in the White House and being so busy. So they had an incredible bond. Her and Barron, it was a relationship like no other.
Various clips from the interview ran throughout the morning on Fox News. In one of the longest segments, Melania discussed the recent attempts on the life of the former president, saying she believed God was watching over him and blaming Democrats for creating a toxic political atmosphere the led to the two assassination attempts.
Is it really shocking that all this outrageous violence goes against my husband?, the former first lady said in the interview.
Especially that we hear the leaders from the opposition party and mainstream media branding him as threat to democracy, calling him vile names. They only fueling a toxic atmosphere and all of these people that they wanted to harm - this needs to stop this needs to stop. The country needs to unite and I encourage everybody to read my letter that I wrote on July 14th, again. Because that cannot continue.
I think something was watching over him. Its almost like country really needed him, she said.
Melania said her mother Amalija Knavs was like a second mother to Barron - above, Amalija Knavs, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Barron Trump, Santa Clauase and Viktor Knavs at Mar-a-Lago for Christmas in December 2008
Melania also discusses her White House years, above she, Donald and Barron exit Air Force One upon their arrival in Palm Beach, Fla.
Melania Trump, who was always seen as a reluctant political spouse, said she supported Donald Trumps political ambitions.
I support him. I know how passionate he is to make America great again, she said.
She demurred when asked about Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, pivoting to pitching her husbands presidential campaign.
All he wants to as he says make America great again. He wants to make this country prosperous. Safe for everybody. He wants to make the American dream possible again, she said.
Melania Trump has yet to appear at a political rally for her husband. She was at his announcement speech for his presidential bid and watched him address the Republican National Convention. But she has not attended either presidential debate and has remained on the sidelines of the election.
Still, she told Fox News that her early career as a model and being in the fashion world prepared her for being first lady.
I think nothing prepared me more to be first lady in front of the world than the fashion industry, she said.
The fashion industry is glamorous but, at the same time, its very tough. Everybody judges you. Looks at you a certain way. So, it can be mean world as well. So, nothing prepared me more for this world than fashion. It gives you a thick skin, Trump added.
Melania Trump sat down with Fox News Ainsley Earhardt in New York for a recorded interview, excepts of which aired on Fox and Friends on Thursday morning
The memoir includes behind-the-scenes photos like the one above
Her book touches on her four years in the White House.
She described being first lady as having extra, extra responsibility.
And she told Fox News she bonded with Brigette Macron, the first lady of France, who she described as fun.
She also said she was close with Akie Abe, the former first lady of Japan, and expressed her condolences for her. Abes husband, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated in July 2022.
Trump, who was born in Slovenia, discussed her pride in becoming an American citizen. She became a citizen on July 28, 2006.
She told Fox New she went through the process but didnt elaborate. Questions have been raised about her visa status. She was on a visa reserved for immigrants with extraordinary ability and sustained national and international acclaim.
There also have been questions as to whether she used her status to help her parents gain citizenship, a process known was chain migration. Donald Trump has railed against chain migration and immigration in general.
I was very proud. I went through the process and that day was a big celebration, was very, very proud, she said.
Melania Trump included a photo of her and Barron as a baby
Melania Trumps memoir comes out October 8th
Trump sat down with Fox News to discuss Melania, her memoir that comes out October 8th.
Earhardt got a sneak peak of the book and said it features behind-the-scenes photos from Barron as a child and the family in the White House. During the interview, she showed a picture of Melania working at her desk in Trump Tower with a young Barron playing in a toy car in front of her.
I think its very important that we show our children we are working to give them an example how life is. That they see us as real productive that we have ideas. That ideas come to life, Trump.
The former first lady, who has been the subject of various biographies, said she wrote her memoir because itt was time to tell her story.
I believe that it was a time that I tell my story and the truth. It is a lot of misinformation and falsehoods written about me. And I want to put the record straight and people can learn some things that they were not discussed. And I hope they enjoy the book, she said.