In a rare televised interview, her first in two years, former First Lady Melania Trump offered criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration, attributing current national issues to their policies.
Trump, 54, was a guest on “Fox & Friends” on September 26, where she attributed a variety of problems to the administration’s perceived failures. She stated that the American public is “suffering” due to the policy decisions made during Biden and Harris’ tenure.
“The record speaks for itself,” Trump commented, in reference to the administration’s track record. She further stated that Harris and Biden have fostered a socio-economic atmosphere where many citizens struggle to afford basic necessities for their families.
Trump highlighted international conflicts and domestic security concerns, with a specific mention of the issues at the nation’s southern border. “We have wars going on around the world. Soldiers are dying. They were dying under this administration because of weak leadership. The border is open and dangerous. A lot of fentanyl is coming over, killing our youth. It’s very hard to see,” Trump said.
While Trump did not name either Biden or Harris directly, her criticisms were unambiguous. She focused on the upcoming election, scheduled for November 5th, as an opportunity for Americans to express their views through voting. “The fate of the country is in the people’s hands,” she noted, encouraging citizens to vote for change.
Trump’s comments came during the ongoing campaign of her husband, former President Donald Trump, for another presidential term. The 78-year-old ex-president has been touring the United States in his bid for re-election in 2024. Melania Trump endorsed her husband as the candidate who can restore prosperity and safety to the nation. “All [Donald Trump] wants to [do], 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 stated.
Trump, who maintained a relatively low profile during her tenure as first lady, shared insights into her personal experience during the interview. She credited her former career as a fashion model for equipping her to handle the pressures of public life. “Nothing prepared me more to be first lady in front of the world than the fashion industry,” she said. “It’s glamorous, but it’s at the same time very tough. And, uh, as everybody judges you, look at you a certain way. It gives you a thick skin.”
The interview is timed with the forthcoming release of her memoir, “Melania,” due out next month. The book offers readers an inside view of her journey from Slovenia to the White House. In a promotional video for the memoir, she defended her decision to pose for nude photos earlier in her modeling career.
Trump has utilized social media to provide previews of the book’s content and to address certain aspects of her life that have been frequently misunderstood or misrepresented in the media.
In the “Fox & Friends” interview, she also discussed the two assassination attempts on her husband. The first occurred on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania at a rally, and the second at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. In both instances, she expressed both shock and relief at her husband’s survival. “I ran to the TV and, I rewind it and I watched it,” she remembered of the July incident in Butler. “Nobody really knew yet because when you see him, on the floor and you don’t know, you don’t know what really happened.”
Although both incidents left her shaken, Trump thanked the Secret Service and credited her husband’s resilience for his survival. She referred to his survival as “miracles.”
Trump also touched on her family life, sharing that Donald Trump had wanted to have more children besides their son, Barron, but she was fine with one. She explained their decision to have only one child was influenced by her husband’s busy schedule and her aim to manage the household efficiently.
As the 2024 election nears, Melania Trump’s recent commentary and the release of her memoir are likely to draw more attention to her husband’s campaign. Despite her low political profile in recent years, her remarks indicate a strong commitment to supporting Donald Trump’s vision for America.
