Melania Trump

Melania Trump
Melania Trump
	File:Melania Trump official portrait.jpg Official portrait, April 2017
First Lady of the United States
	In role; January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Michelle Obama
Succeeded by	Jill Biden
Personal details
Born	Melanija Knavs; April 26, 1970 (age 54); Novo Mesto, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia
Citizenship	22x20px Yugoslavia (1970-1991); File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia (since 1991); 23x15px United States (since 2006);
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Donald Trump (m. 2005)
Children	Barron Trump
Parents	Viktor Knavs; Amalija Knavs
Residence	Mar-a-Lago
Signature	Melania Trump's signature
	Melania Trump's voice
	Melania Trump's Farewell Address from the White House; Recorded January 18, 2021
	Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Melanija Knavs Trump (born April 26, 1970)^[1]^[2] is a Slovenian-American socialite, model and businesswoman. She was also the first lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021 as the wife of the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.^[3]^[4]

She grew up in Slovenia (then Yugoslavia). She worked as a fashion model through agencies in the European fashion capitals of Milan and Paris. After that, she moved to New York City in 1996. She was associated with Irene Marie Models and Trump Model Management.^[5]

In 2005, she married the real estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump. She gave birth to their son Barron in March 2006. Later that year, she became a naturalized American citizen.^[6] She is the second immigrant woman after former Louisa Adams and the first non-native English speaker to become first lady.^[7]

Biography

Early life, family and education

Melanija Knavs was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia on April 26, 1970. Her father, Viktor Knavs was from the nearby town of Radeče. He managed car and motorcycle dealerships for a state-owned vehicle manufacturer. Her mother Amalija Ulčnik Knavs, came from the village of Raka. She worked as a patternmaker at the children's clothing manufacturer Jutranjka in Sevnica.

As a child, Knavs and other children of workers at the factory participated in fashion shows that featured children's clothing. She has an older sister, Ines Knauss, who is an artist. She has an older half-brother who she reportedly has never met from her father's previous relationship.

When Knavs was a teenager, she moved with her family to a two-story house in Sevnica. As a high-school student, she lived in a high-rise apartment in Ljubljana. She attended the Secondary School of Design and Photography in the city. She studied architecture and design at the University of Ljubljana for one year before she dropped out.

Relationship with Donald Trump, marriage, and children

In September 1998, Knavs met real estate mogul Donald Trump at a party. The couple began dating while the latter was in the process of divorcing his second wife, Marla Maples. The divorce was finalized in 1999. In 1999, the couple gained attention after a lewd interview with shock jock Howard Stern on his show.

The two became engaged in 2004. On January 22, 2005, they married in an Anglican service at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. There was a reception in the ballroom at her husband's Mar-a-Lago estate.^[8]

On March 20, 2006, Trump gave birth to their son, Barron William Trump. She chose his middle name and her husband chose his first name. She also has four stepchildren, stepsons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and stepdaughters Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump.

2016 United States presidential election

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Trump gives a thumbs up while speaking at a campaign event in 2015.

In 2016, Trump told CNN her focus as first lady would be to help women and children. She also said she would combat cyberbullying, especially among children.^[9]

On July 18, 2016, Trump gave a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump was later accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama's speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.^[10]^[11]^[12]

First Lady, 2017–2021

Trump alongside her husband as he takes the presidential oath of office.

Trump became the first lady of the United States when her husband inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017.^[13] As first lady, Trump focused on spending time meeting with children all over the world while in classrooms, hospitals, care facilities, at home in the White House, and in communities worldwide.

She met with leaders in technology and social media companies to raise awareness of resources available to protect children. She traveled to military bases domestically and overseas, including Iraq in 2018.

Trump also worked with Second Lady Karen Pence in expanding the American Red Cross Comfort Kit program to include deployed United States troops who are stationed away from home during the holidays.

In the summer of 2020, Trump honored the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement. She hosted a children’s art competition that showed drawings of people, objects, and events that hold a significant meaning to the women’s suffrage movement.

Trump also sent care packages and donated lunches to hospitals, local law enforcement officers, foster care facilities, and others who fought the Coronavirus disease.^[14]

Be Best campaign

Trump officially launching her Be Best Initiative.

In May 2018, Trump formally started the Be Best public awareness campaign. It focused on issues such as, social and emotional health of children, online safety, and fighting opioid abuse and cyberbullying.

In October 2018, Trump took a solo international trip to Africa, visiting Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Egypt, hospitals, schools, and USAID programs benefiting children. She went on international trips with the president and met with more than 30 foreign diplomats, heads of state, and their spouses to share solutions to issues impacting children around the world.^[15]

Personal life

Melania Trump with Pope Francis, the Vatican, May 2017

Religion

When Trump and her husband visited Vatican City in May 2017, she identified as Catholic. She was the first Catholic to live in the White House since John F. Kennedy an was the second Catholic first lady after Jacqueline Kennedy.^[16]^[17]