What's Really Going On With Donald Trump's Marriage

Former president Donald Trump's marriage to Melania Knavs, a Slovenian-born former model, was the subject of public scrutiny long before he moved into the White House. Since they wed in Palm Beach, Florida back in 2005, the power couple has dealt with everything from public lawsuits to accusations of gold digging and infidelity. The pair went on to welcome one son together, Barron Trump, in 2006. When the businessman eventually pulled the trigger on his oft-discussed presidential run in 2016, the spotlight on their relationship intensified.

With the impeached former president returning to politics in the 2024 U.S. election, even more probing has been done about his dynamic with his wife on the campaign trail. Even body language experts have weighed in with interpretations of how the subconscious physical cues of the POTUS and the first lady give us hints about their romance (but more on that in a moment). Only time will tell if Donald and Melania's marriage can withstand such public scrutiny, but let's take a closer look at what's really going on with the couple.

In May 2017, President Donald Trump embarked on his first foreign visit since taking office after the 2016 election, and the trip produced so many viral moments, social media could barely keep up. There was the much-memed glowing orb, a questionable bow, and an awkward sword dance, but none of those moments come close to the swat seen around the world.

Upon arriving direct from Saudi Arabia to Israel, President Trump attempted to take the first lady's hand while they were walking down the tarmac from Air Force One. Melania Trump clearly swatted away the president's paw, apparently unaware of the approximately 10 million cameras pointed in her general direction. Oof.

The Daily Beast reminded us that Melania also refused to hold Trump's hand when they arrived in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. Is she trying to tell us something, or is she just not into middle-school PDA?

Even the happiest, most perfect couple is bound to eventually fight, but according to the Trumps, this has never happened to them. Speaking with Fox News in 2016, Melania Trump was adamant that she and her husband have never argued — ever. "We don't have fights," she proudly declared. "We disagree, but that's okay." The future first lady explained that while they don't share all the same opinions, they simply don't try to convince one another that they're in the right. This, she said, is why their marriage is so healthy. "I'm with my own brain, he's with his own brain," she mused. "I tell him my way and he accepts that and I tell him what I think, and he's the same. He thinks what he thinks."

Similarly, Donald Trump explained to CNN's Larry King in 2005 that he actually knew it was time to propose to Melania because they never fought. "We literally have never had an argument," he enthused. "We just are very compatible. We get along."

Indeed, according to Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan, who wrote a 2020 biography on Melania, "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump," the Trumps share a solid bond based on mutual admiration and understanding. "She's the first call he makes after a speech or a rally because he trusts her — he doesn't trust many people," she told The Guardian.

In January of 2000, Donald Trump confirmed to The New York Times that he and Melania Knavs had split, and he did it in the most Donald Trump way possible: surrounded by models at a Miss U.S.A. pageant party.

Melania later admitted to DuJour that the break was partially due to Donald considering running for president. "That was part of it. We were apart for a few months, not long. We got back together," she said.

The aforementioned episode was actually their second split. According to Melania's friend and former roommate, fashion photographer Matthew Atanian, Donald and Melania had a falling out very early in their relationship. "She had some trust issues with him at the beginning ... She kept her apartment to have her own space because of this," Atanian said to GQ. They only stayed apart for a few months, but if accusations of infidelity and Donald's political aspirations are still any kind of sticking point, this couple may be in for a rocky road ahead.

There have been multiple occasions where Melania Trump has found herself trying to explain away her husband's unsavory comments. There was, of course, the time when she released a statement (via The Washington Post) to denounce his infamous Access Hollywood scandal: "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know."

Melania has also addressed Donald Trump's conversations about their love life and her pregnant body. Donald told shock jock Howard Stern on-air (via HuffPost) that pregnant women "just blow up ... like a blimp — in the right places." He added, "I mean she really has become a monster — in all the right places. I mean monster in the most positive way. She has gotten very, very large — in all the right places." According to Melania, that interview wasn't her husband's fault. She told Fox News (via Politico) that others are just good at egging him on.

But that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Trump's chats with the so-called King of all Media. In September 2017, recordings from multiple interviews with Stern were published on Factbase (via the Independent), revealing a slew of "locker room" style conversations between the future president and radio star. So, are we still supposed to believe the whole "we never fight" thing?

You've seen that GIF that tore across the internet on the day of the inauguration ceremony — the one in which Melania Trump smiles sweetly when Donald Trump turns to look at her, only to instantly transform when he turns back around. That was just one of many bizarre couple moments that occurred that day.

There was also their awkward dancing at the inaugural ball. Melania seemed to be leaning away from Donald, a move one body language expert claimed could be interpreted as the first lady signaling, "I don't want to merge with you as a partner."

And, of course, probably the biggest "WTF!" moment was when they arrived at the White House to be greeted by the Obamas. Trump bounded out of the car and went right up the steps, leaving Melania to walk around the back of the vehicle and up the steps on her own. This was the first impression the new POTUS and FLOTUS made to the millions watching at home. While each incident can easily be chalked up to nervousness, some serious questions about their relationship have emerged.

Donald Trump first met Melania in 1998 at a Fashion Week party thrown by his friend, Metropolitan Models co-owner Paolo Zampolli. As Vanity Fair reported in a 2017 profile on the Trumps' marriage, Zampolli was actually the one who scouted Melania in Slovenia and brought her over to the United States to pursue modeling.

Interestingly, Trump brought a different beauty to the bash – Norwegian socialite Celina Midelfart — but a date wasn't about to stop him from asking Melania for her number. He reportedly did so while Midelfart was in the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised when Melania flirtatiously agreed to take his number instead. She called him shortly after and the pair had their first date, launching a decades-long union.

However, according to numerous sources, their relationship was built more on convenience than love. While pursuing modeling in the U.S., Melania was living with photographer Matthew Atanian, who told Vanity Fair that her career was failing to take off. "She was always kind of a stiff person," he mused. "That's why she wasn't a successful model." Then, right as she was about to give up, her future husband came along. "She ran into Donald just at the right time," a source told the New York Post in 2004. "She was just about out of money, at the end of her rope, and about to move back to Eastern Europe." As for Donald, insiders said he benefited by snagging a beautiful (younger) wife.

Melania Trump is one of the few first ladies in the history of the presidency to delay moving into the White House. The Trumps made it clear they wanted their son, Barron Trump, to be able to finish school in New York without interruption, yet questions remained about the level of involvement Melania would assume in her East Wing duties.

Back in 1999, Melania had a much different vision for her theoretical role as FLOTUS: "I would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy. I would support him," she told The New York Times. 17 years later, Melania drastically changed her tune, telling GQ, "I chose not to go into politics and policy. Those policies are my husband's job." Her position changed again just days before the election, when she announced that one of her key issues as first lady would be to combat cyber-bullying, which many found ironic considering Donald Trump's penchant for slinging barbs via X, formerly known as Twitter.

During Donald's first official overseas trip. Melania accompanied him, and, according to many accounts, salvaged what could have been a diplomatic disaster. Aside from the aforementioned hand-holding snub, Melania essentially stole the entire international show, charming Pope Francis with small talk and making headlines with her fashion choices. Of her performance during the trip, Donald himself was reportedly overheard aboard Air Force One describing her as "Jackie O on steroids."

Melania Trump famously made headlines when she refused to move into the White House for nearly five months after President Trump's inauguration. Instead, she chose to remain in New York until Barron Trump finished his school year and it wasn't until June 2017 that she finally made the move. During that time, taxpayers had to foot a huge bill in order to keep the couple's long-distance marriage on track.

In estimating how much it actually cost to protect Melania and Barron while they continued to live in Manhattan's Trump Tower, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrived at a staggering figure. Apparently, it cost New Yorkers between $127,000 and $146,000 a day to protect the first lady and her son, per NBC New York. What's more, the state reportedly incurred additional costs of around $24 million in the two months between election day and inauguration day, as they had to protect Melania, Barron, and Donald Trump.

Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill formally sought a full reimbursement while residents launched a change.org petition in March 2017. "Make Melania Trump stay in the White House or pay for the expenses herself," they argued, adding, "This expense yields no positive results for the nation and should be cut from being funded." The petition received 560,000 signatures but the subject became moot when she eventually made her way to Washington.

Part of Melania Trump's independence apparently includes fielding most of the parenting responsibilities to raise Barron Trump. "He didn't change diapers and I am completely fine with that. It is not important to me. It's all about what works for you. It's very important to know the person you're with. And we know our roles. I didn't want him to change the diapers or put Barron to bed. I love every minute of it," she told Parenting (via Business Insider).

It's not as if Melania was blindsided by Donald Trump's "relaxed" attitude toward being a dad. In 2005, pre-Barron, the real estate mogul sat next to his new bride on "Larry King Live" and said, "Look, Larry, the way I look at it, there's nothing like a good marriage and there's nothing like having children. I have four great children. If you have the money, having children is great. Now, I know Melania. I'm not going to be doing the diapers. I'm not going to be making the food. I may never even see the kids. She will be an unbelievable mother. I'll be a good father."

It is clear that Melania Trump is willing to stand up for her husband, even in the face of some of his more disturbing controversies. But in the case of People reporter Natasha Stoynoff's accusations of sexual assault against Donald Trump, Melania's defense left some big questions unanswered. Stoynoff alleged that in 2005, she was interviewing the Trumps when a then-pregnant Melania left her alone with Donald. Stoynoff says he pushed her against a wall and shoved his tongue down her throat.

According to Vanity Fair, Melania's response to the awful claim focused on a minor detail in Stoynoff's story and did not confirm or deny the rest. Stoynoff claims she bumped into Melania a few months later, but Melania's lawyer issued a statement refuting that second encounter. Did Melania decline to comment on the rest of the story because she believed the alleged assault happened, or did she simply not have the legal grounds to discuss it since she wasn't in the room at the time? Either conclusion potentially speaks volumes about Melania's responses to her husband's controversies.

The Trumps may be adamant that their marriage is perfect, however, the reality seems to be quite different. Former Mar-a-Lago butler Anthony Senecal inadvertently gave a peek at a possible red flag in their union while trying to pay Melania Trump a compliment back in 2017. Speaking with The Washington Post, Senecal said Melania is actually really warm and caring behind closed doors. Case in point: She reportedly encouraged him to take time off to visit his terminally ill sibling. "She said, 'Tony, there isn't anything I can't get here — people will bring anything I ask for, you go be with your sister,'" he recalled.

However, that only applied when she was staying at Mar-a-Lago on her own. She allegedly told him, "'When Donald's here, you'll have to stay." Senecal went on to claim that Melania is forced to put on a cold, serious façade around her husband. "She just adapts," he told the outlet. "You don't know if she likes it or doesn't like it. 'This is his job, and this is my job to support my husband.'"

Journalist and author Mary Jordan painted a similar picture, noting that it's nearly impossible to get a sense of the real Melania because she does such a good job of projecting a curated veneer. While working on "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump," a photographer aptly told her, per The Guardian, "She's like a ghost: Everyone knows her but nobody does."

This is probably the weirdest item on this list, and it's courtesy of a GQ profile that boldly dug up dirt on Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump's dad. GQ discovered that Knavs is only five years older than Donald Trump and actually bears a resemblance to him in both looks and attire.

"He likes quality," Melania said of her dad, who wore "sharp suits" and had "an extensive collection of Mercedes." Knavs also made his own way to achieve wealth within communist Slovenia — not an easy thing to do. Friends of the family described Viktor as "boisterous and strong-willed."

As for the paternal comparison, Melania is characteristically flattering. "They're both hardworking. They're both very smart and very capable. They grew up in totally different environments, but they have the same values, they have the same tradition. I myself am similar to my husband. Do you understand what I mean? So is my dad; he is a family man, he has tradition, he was hardworking. So is my husband," she said.

In an interview with GQ, Melania Trump said "nobody will ever know" her political views because "that's between me and my husband." But according to Politico, these so-called secret political chats have had a major influence on how Donald Trump runs his administration. Sources told the political blog that she has taken on the role of "private watchdog," actively scanning cable news and other outlets in order to keep her husband updated on how he's being perceived by the public. The first lady has also reportedly grown concerned about the constant leaks allegedly coming from White House staffers, leading some to believe she's instrumental in managing the president's inner circle.

Longtime Trump aide Roger Stone told Politico, "She has excellent instincts into who is trying to exploit their influence with him." Considering all of the shake-ups that have occurred within the Trump administration's staff, rumors that Melania is a behind-the-scenes mastermind have us wondering if she's really the one who gets to say "You're fired."

Almost no celebrity couple is immune to the occasional tabloid headline, but when Donald Trump threw his hat into the ring for the presidency, the supermarket checkout was noticeably quiet about his marriage. According to Politico, this may have a lot to do with Trump's close relationship to AMI owner David Pecker, the man whose media empire owns the National Enquirer, the Globe, the National Examiner, and Radar Online. Trump and Pecker worked together in the '90s on Trump Style, "a magazine for guests of the Trump properties, when Pecker was a magazine executive at Hachette Filipacchi Magazines," and the two have remained close ever since, reported Politico.

Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, AMI's publications tended to be highly critical of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, while simultaneously championing Trump and leaving Melania Trump out of it altogether. This was purely coincidental, according to Pecker, who told the New York Post: "The pro-Trump and anti-Hillary covers have seen newsstand sales pop 23 percent. That is the only poll data that I care about."

We've already covered POTUS and FLOTUS's strangely stiff appearance during the inauguration festivities, as well as several high-profile head-scratching moments regarding the nature of their intimacy since the election. And yet, it seems former president Donald Trump either wasn't paying attention or just can't help being awkward around his wife on the world stage.

Case in point: the president's press conference in Ft. Myers, Fla. following Hurricane Irma. While standing directly next to his wife, Donald said, "I just want to thank everybody, the first responders, uh, on behalf of myself, our vice president. Melania really wanted to be with us, she's really, it's really touched her heart what's gone on, and we've seen the devastation. Uh, we're gonna see some more of it now unfortunately."

According to The Sun, Donald's attackers quickly jumped at the idea that he wasn't even aware that his wife was standing right beside him, while his defenders offered him the benefit of the doubt, saying he was likely just "saying that she felt strongly about making the trip with him," and that he is "just awkward with words." Either way, that could have made for a long, silent Air Force One ride back to the White House.

Donald Trump first met Stormy Daniels in 2006 at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. According to the adult film star, an affair soon followed. Donald had married Melania Trump the year before and their son, Barron, was just a few months old when Stormy alleged things got physical between them. She shared details of their encounters with InTouch in 2011, but the outlet didn't publish them until 2018 because Trump's long-time attorney, Michael Cohen, apparently threatened to take legal action.

However, InTouch finally decided to post the interview a week after a 2018 report from The Wall Street Journal claimed Cohen had paid Stormy $130,000 in 2016 (right as the presidential race was heating up) to keep her from talking about the affair. The hush-money allegations eventually resulted in Donald Trump being slapped with 34 felony counts — to which he pleaded not guilty in 2023 — and being berated by his wife. 

While he has denied everything, Melania is said to have been angry when news of the affair came to light. According to a 2024 book by New York Times reporter Katie Rogers (via the Mirror), she tried to get her revenge through small gestures, like refusing to join her husband on a trip abroad. "[She] was pissed at Trump and wanted him to be a little humiliated that she took off," Rogers wrote. Even so, a source told MailOnline in 2023, "She is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has."

Not only did the Trumps have a lowkey (and perhaps icy) anniversary in the wake of the Stormy Daniels story, they also sent up some marriage red flags when Melania suddenly dropped out of a planned visit to Davos, Switzerland for the president's attendance at the World Economic Forum. In a statement to CNN, Melania's communications director cited "scheduling and logistical issues" as the reason for the first lady's change of plans. 

So what did Melania end up doing the day her husband landed in Davos? She went to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which just so happens to be a 6-minute car ride, or 16-minute walk from the White House, according to Google Maps. We're not saying the whole "scheduling and logistical issues" thing was an excuse, but we're saying that we can't imagine rescheduling a visit to a local museum should have been that difficult.

Michael Wolff's controversial book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," ignited a firestorm of its own with alleged insider accounts of all kinds of turmoil within the executive branch, but Wolff told "Real Time" host Bill Maher that amid all the intense media scrutiny the book has received, the press has overlooked one of the slightly obscured but juiciest bits of dirt: allusion to an alleged affair Donald Trump is currently having. 

Wolff said that although he is "absolutely sure" of the alleged infidelity, he couldn't include the accusation directly in his pages because he "didn't have the blue dress," which is, of course, a reference to a damning piece of evidence that implicated President Bill Clinton's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Granted, this is a salacious accusation by a man who's got everything to gain by keeping this gravy train rolling for as long as possible.

The trend of media outlets hiring body language experts didn't stop with the inauguration. In fact, almost every time the president and first lady appear in public, you can count on a fresh round of experts being trotted out to analyze everything from the distance they stand apart from each other to the subtle ways they move. Interpreting how Melania Trump reacts, or doesn't react, to Donald Trump has become its own cottage industry, even though it sometimes yields contrasting conclusions.

For example, in Elite Daily coverage of a February 2017 rally during which Melania appeared to flinch when Donald touched her arm, the outlet called on two body language experts to get to the bottom of her uncomfortable reaction. The first expert concluded that Melania was merely nervous about giving a speech, while the second expert makes the leap that "there is no love there." So there you have it. Melania is either an awkward public speaker or she hates the sight, sound, and touch of her own husband. Glad the ironclad science of body-language analysis could clear that up for us.

Donald and Melania Trump have repeatedly been accused of being overly cold with one another, and in 2018, The Washington Post took those allegations one step further. Speaking to numerous sources, the outlet reported that Melania and the then-president were leading completely separate lives while in the White House. According to insiders, the pair did not share a bedroom, rarely ate together, and, as one source put it, "They spend very little to no time together."

On the flip side, a different source said they actually spent almost every evening together while Melania's former friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, underscored the fact that the distance between the Trumps didn't signal any trouble in paradise. "They are not that couple that holds hands just because," Wolkoff mused. "[Melania] is old-world European and it's not who she is." Indeed, back in 2016, Melania herself told The Washington Post that she and her husband enjoyed being apart. "We are both very independent," she shared. "We like to do what we like to do, and we give ourselves and each other space."

Since moving out of the White House and into Mar-a-Lago, it seems little has changed. As one source told Radar Online in 2023, Melania isn't interested in golfing or schmoozing like her husband is, and they're happy to spend time apart. "She mostly keeps to herself and stays out of Donald's way as long as he stays out of hers," they told the mag. "It works for both of them."

It may come as a surprise to some, but Melania Trump is a hands-on mother. Back in 2006, while celebrating her first Mother's Day, she told The Palm Beach Post that having son Barron Trump was a dream come true. "It's unconditional love," she gushed, "You can watch the baby, every move he makes – it's just amazing."

Indeed, various sources have praised her parenting style with one telling People in 2023 that her only child has always been her top priority. "She is a doting mother to Barron and very protective of him," they shared. "She has always put him first – she is a good mother." Back in 2015, Melania herself told People, "I like to be hands-on" and was adamant she doesn't have a devoted nanny. "If you have too much help, you don't get to know your children," Donald mused. She also told People that because her husband travels so much, "Barron needs somebody as a parent, so I am with him all the time."

Some of that devotion was put on full display after Donald was elected president and she refused to rush to the White House, instead staying in New York so that Barron could finish his school year uninterrupted. Once she did move, sources told The Washington Post in 2018 that while Donald started every morning by watching the news and posting on X, Melania's day began by getting Barron ready for school and making sure he had everything he needed.

The Washington Post journalist Mary Jordan made headlines in 2020 when she published "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump," in which she claimed that the real reason Melania didn't immediately move into the White House was pure business. According to sources, Mrs. Trump seized her opportunity after her husband was elected president to demand that he update their prenup. She allegedly forced him to make it more favorable towards her and son Barron Trump if he wanted her to stick around.

"She wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance, Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trump's oldest three children," Jordan wrote, per The Washington Post. Melania's chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, slammed the reports, telling CNN, "This book belongs in the fiction genre."

Jump to 2023 when Donald was ordered to pay $5 million to E. Jean Carroll (who accused him of sexual assault and defamation), and Melania reportedly used the opportunity to cash in again. Sources told Radar that this time, she threatened to renegotiate their prenup or even file for divorce if Donald didn't up her monthly allowance and increase their son's inheritance. If he did, she promised to support his 2024 presidential run. "This really was a take-it-or-leave-it situation," the insider claimed. "Let's just say Melania was in no mood to negotiate with Donald — and he knew full well there was no chance he was returning to the Oval Office without her."

The first half of 2023 was rough for Donald Trump. In March, he was indicted over an alleged hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. That April, he pled not guilty to the resulting 34 felony counts, but if he was hoping for support from his wife, he didn't exactly get it. As one insider told People, "She doesn't sympathize with Donald's plight." But while Melania Trump didn't appear by his side in court and she never made a public statement about the indictment, the Office of Melania Trump's X account did tweet that news outlets should stop assuming they know how she feels. They also issued a public request, writing, "We ask readers to exercise caution and good judgment when determining whether or not stories concerning the former First Lady are accurate."

That June, Donald's legal woes worsened when he was indicted on 37 federal charges in the classified documents saga. Again, Melania kept quiet and sources told People, "She doesn't want anything to do with any of it." They also underscored that she's moving forward without getting sucked into the legal battles, but she reportedly does wish all of the charges against her husband would go away. "She wants his legal team to fight this to the end and hopefully end the fight," an insider told the mag. Meanwhile, another source told Daily Mail, "She is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has."

She may not have rushed to move into the White House and she was constantly criticized during her time there, but Melania Trump is not ruling out another stint as first lady. In her first sit-down interview since moving back to Mar-a-Lago, Melania told Fox News in 2022 that she actually enjoyed the political life. "I like Washington DC," she said. "I know it operates completely different than any other city, but I really like it there and I enjoyed living in the White House." She also praised her husband's administration and enthused, "To be the first lady of the United States was my greatest honor." When interviewer Pete Hegseth quipped that she may get to do it again, she teased, "Never say never."

It seems she may have known something we didn't because in November 2022, Donald Trump officially announced that he was again running for president. Not surprisingly, Melania kept to her word and said she was all for it. "My husband achieved tremendous success in his first administration, and he can lead us toward greatness and prosperity once again," she told Fox News. "He has my support, and we look forward to restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength."

Donald and Melania Trump, who first married in 2005, have been plagued by non-stop divorce rumors. In 2018, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman claimed, per Mirror, "Melania is counting every minute until he is out of office and she can divorce him." In 2020, Melania's former friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, told BBC, "I do believe it's a transactional marriage." In 2021, sources told CNN that Melania wasn't supportive of her husband's political ambitions and she "just wants to go home."

And yet, despite all of these stories, numerous sources believe that a separation is simply not in the cards. They argue that the couple has been together for so long and Melania has put up with so much that a split is unlikely. One such person is Mary Jordan, author of "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump." As she told The Guardian in 2020, their union may seem strange, but it's perfect for them.

"I don't know any couple that spends as much time apart," she conceded. However, "She is a loner. He is a loner. They're perfectly happy to be separated." What's more, she's adamant that Melania is one of the few people Donald trusts fully and that she's actively helped him achieve his ambitions. "They have a very unusual relationship, but there is a bond there," she mused. "They have a deal, right from the beginning."

Donald Trump was greeted with an overwhelming show of support when he appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2024. During his speech (via Forbes), he gushed about the sold-out crowd and applauded their love of Melania Trump. Indeed, at the mention of the former first lady's name, folks got up, applauded, and cheered. "Oh look at that, wow," Donald enthused, beaming at his supportive audience. "Mercedes, that's pretty good!"

Upon hearing him utter the name Mercedes, critics immediately assumed that the former president had meant to say "Melania" and mistakenly called his wife by a different name. Even media outlets were quick to report as much, and when Joe Biden stopped by "Late Night with Seth Meyers," he quipped, "He can't remember his wife's name."

Well, Trump wasn't having it. He set the record straight in a video on X, noting he was talking to Mercedes Schlapp, his former senior advisor, who was also in the crowd. "These people are really dishonest," he slammed. "They make up things constantly." Schlapp also clapped back at reports, tweeting a PolitiFact article titled, "No, Donald Trump did not call his wife 'Mercedes' instead of Melania," and writing, "The silliness of the fake news."

Donald Trump has often praised his wife publicly, and yet, it seems he has a strange way of celebrating special occasions. When he celebrates them at all, that is. In January 2024, for example, the Trumps marked their 19th wedding anniversary, but rather than tweeting about the milestone, the former president was totally focused on the defamation trial brought against him by E. Jean Carroll. According to a count by Newsweek, Trump spent January 22 firing off a tirade of messages against Carroll and mentioned the retired journalist a whopping 46 times on Truth Social that day, without highlighting his marriage.

A few weeks later, on Valentine's Day, the former president again took a unique approach to romance when he turned a love letter to Melania into a fundraising opportunity. In an email sent to supporters (which soon appeared on X), Trump told his wife he loved her and enthused, "Even after every single indictment, arrest, and witch hunt, you never left my side." He also thanked her for her unwavering support and shared, "I wouldn't be the man I am today without your guidance, kindness, and warmth." Folks were then encouraged to click a huge red button with the words "Send Your Love," which allowed them to send a personalized message to Melania, as well as donate money to his campaign.

In July 2023, The New York Times reported on Melania Trump's visible absence from the campaign trail and the courtroom. While many may have expected her to show public support for her husband, sources told the outlet that she actually denied Donald Trump's requests to campaign on his behalf. She also avoided his various court hearings, sparking talk of trouble in paradise.

However, insiders were quick to note that Melania was actually totally supportive behind the scenes and had apparently stood up for her husband on numerous occasions, arguing that he would make a great president for a second term. "Melania keeps them guessing, and they keep guessing wrong," mused Kellyanne Conway. Kind of like that December when she was absent from a family Christmas photo taken at Mar-a-Lago and folks began to speculate as to why. It turned out to be nothing salacious with a source telling Fox News Digital she was simply spending time with her sick mother, Amalija Knavs, who died shortly after.

Meanwhile, Trump explained in a February 2024 town hall that Melania supports him fully, she just doesn't like the spotlight. "If I didn't introduce Melania, she'd be very happy about it," he said (via The Hill), but added she was ready to join his campaign in the months ahead. "She's going to be out a lot," he teased.