Her memoirs are due to be published on October 8, exactly four weeks before the election. The otherwise reserved former First Lady is breaking her silence, which many find puzzling.
For years, Melania Trump avoided the limelight. But in recent days she has published several videos in online media. “As a private citizen who has often been the subject of public criticism and misrepresentation, I feel obliged to clarify the facts,” she says in a black-and-white clip, referring to her book. “I believe it is important to share my perspective.”
“Melania” for 40 dollars
The 256-page book has the simple title “Melania” and costs $40 (€36), or $250 for the signed version with photos. In the advertisement, the 54-year-old also addresses topics that she has never or hardly spoken about before – from the assassination attempt on her husband in July to the anti-racist demonstrations in Washington in 2020.
The ex-model even talks about the nude photos of her that US tabloids published in 2016. “I am proud of my work as a nude model,” she says and asks: “Can we no longer appreciate the beauty of the human body?”
In another clip, the Slovenian-born woman condemns the FBI raid on the Trumps’ house in Florida two years ago, saying the government had violated her privacy.
Bild: (APA/AFP/EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI)
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Bild: (APA/AFP/EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI)
Why is Melania Trump, who is considered aloof and media-shy, going public now of all times? The videos were primarily intended to market her book, says Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University. But Trump also wants to “convey an image of herself as a strong woman who has her life and her destiny in her own hands.” For this reason, she has largely stayed out of her husband’s presidential campaign. “That is part of this independence project,” analyzes the historian, who researches presidential couples.
Melania Trump did not accompany her husband to the trial in New York in the spring, where Donald Trump was convicted of paying hush money to a porn actress, nor to his campaign appearances. In doing so, she clearly defies the customs in US politics, where the spouses of candidates usually take an active part in the campaign. Doug Emhoff, for example, the husband of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, is enthusiastically promoting his wife during the election campaign and is at her side at many of her events.
The apparent distance between Melania and Donald Trump has fueled speculation about their relationship for years. In a recent interview with Fox News, the former president tried to dispel rumors. “I believe she loves her husband,” he said of his wife. “This is probably the biggest surprise for many people, but she loves her husband.”
On Thursday, Melania Trump will give her first interview to Fox News in more than two years. The ultra-conservative television station has been promoting the event heavily in advance: Melania will not only talk about her book, but also about “Trump’s campaign strategy in the remaining six weeks before the election, the two attempted assassinations of her husband and other current news.”
