Melania Trump talks of husband’s ‘miracle’ survival, says he wanted more children

Washington: In her first interview in more than two years, former US first lady Melania Trump said she saw her husband’s surviving two attempts on his life as “miracles” and offered new details about the former president, including his desire to have more children.

The Slovenian-born former fashion model has remained somewhat of an enigma in the 2024 election cycle, staying largely absent from the campaign trail, breaking norms in not speaking at the Republican National Convention and skipping key moments for her husband, Donald Trump, including his primary night victory parties and court appearances in New York and Florida.

Melania Trump says Donald Trump wants more children.Credit: AP

In a pre-taped interview aired on Fox News, Melania Trump called for Democrats and members of the media to stop branding her husband as a threat to democracy. She blamed the media for “fuelling a toxic atmosphere” and empowering those who “want to do harm to him.” Democrats previously blamed Trump for violent rhetoric, including helping to incite an attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“This is not normal,” she told Ainsley Earhardt, a Fox & Friends co-host.

“Is it really shocking that all this egregious violence goes against my husband? Especially that we hear the leaders from the opposition party and mainstream media branding him as a threat to democracy, calling him vile names?”

The former first lady added: “This needs to stop”.

She said that a staffer alerted her to the shooting at a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, Melania said she was in New York when she saw television reports of the second assassination attempt at his golf course in Florida.

“I think something was watching over him,” she said of Trump. “It’s almost like the country really needs him.”

Melania Trump is promoting her new memoir, which is set to be released on October 8.

When asked if she and her husband ever discussed growing their family, she revealed that the Republican presidential nominee tried to persuade her to have more children. “I was always perfectly fine with one,” she said. “And Donald was encouraging to have more. And I said like I’m completely fine with one because it’s a very busy life, and I know how busy he is. And I am in charge of everything. So that’s why it’s just perfect.”

She said the fashion industry gave her the “thick skin” required to withstand attacks as the wife of a president, who is one of the most polarising political figures in recent memory.

“The fashion industry, it’s glamorous, but it’s, at the same time, very tough,” she said. “Everybody judges you, look at you” a “certain way, so it can be a mean world as well. So nothing prepared me more for this world than fashion. It gives you a thick skin.” Melania also revealed that her son, Barron Trump, decided to continue living in their New York residence while attending New York University.

“I could not say I’m an empty nester. I don’t feel that way,” she said. “It was his decision to come here, that he wants to be in New York and study in New York and live in his home. And I respect that.”

AP

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