Melania Trump (born Melanija Knavs) is the current First Lady of the United States, serving her second, non-consecutive term since January 2025, alongside President Donald J. Trump.
She was born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto (then part of Yugoslavia, now Slovenia), and grew up in Sevnica. a teenager she started modelling and later worked in fashion markets in Europe before relocating to New York in 1996. In 2006, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen, making her the only First Lady to have immigrated and later naturalized.
During her first tenure as First Lady (2017–2021), she launched the Be Best initiative in 2018, focusing on children’s well-being, online safety (anti-cyberbullying), and combatting opioid abuse.
After the 2024 election, she returned to the White House with President Trump in January 2025. Since then, her public role and visibility have increased. She publicly supported the Take It Down Act, legislation aimed at speeding removal of nonconsensual intimate imagery and “revenge porn.” She made one of her first solo appearances of her new term at Capitol Hill to back that bill.
Melania also released her memoir titled Melania (in 2024) and has since published an AI-narrated audiobook version using a voice generated under her direction.
Around 2025 she expressed plans to revive and expand Be Best, especially with renewed focus on children’s welfare, social media safety, and online abuse.
She also has an official staff structure: a significant appointment is Hayley Harrison, who serves as her Chief of Staff for the Office of the First Lady in this second term.
In terms of public engagements in 2025:
- She has participated in events such as the White House Easter Egg Roll, honouring military mothers, and welcoming children of White House employees to work-day events.
- She has travelled alongside the President to areas impacted by disasters (e.g. hurricane, wildfire, flood damage) to survey and oversee recovery efforts.
- She resumed public tours of the White House in early 2025.
Her public style has also evolved. Some observers note she’s increasingly worn menswear and tailored suits in her official appearances, a shift from her earlier style.
She remains a relatively private First Lady in many respects, often avoiding overt political speeches, but she has shown greater engagement in select policy and legislative matters this term, especially regarding online safety and digital rights
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