Melania Trump and her husband have been back at the White House for nearly two months. For his part, Donald has made headlines every single day since he took office, but the opposite has been true with his wife.
Melania hasn’t been spotted too many times in public at all, though she decided to open the White House for public tours not long after her husband’s reappointment.
The former model, born in Slovenia, is only the second First Lady to be born outside the US. However, now, one Congresswoman is questioning whether the president should deport her.
For Melania Trump, returning to the White House a second time was not always a certainty. She has gone on record to state that her second tenure at the White House will be different to her first. For a start, the First Lady won’t be living at the White House full-time, while a new source recently came forward to explain what her life is really like. To put it bluntly, it seems as though she doesn’t have that much time for politics.
Melania hasn’t been seen in public much in recent months. Speaking to People Magazine, an unnamed source claimed that she has spent much time recently filming her Amazon documentary.
The political source told the news outlet that Melania’s absence from the spotlight during Trump’s first month in office “should not come as a surprise because this is how she lives.” The source added that Melania “will never be a traditional first lady” and has “her own ideas on what she wants to do.”
Further, People Magazine wrote that the first lady “has been involved with moving ahead on her own projects, and recently she has been in the White House for that.”
Melania Trump
“Melania has been focused on filming her documentary, which has taken her to various locations, including the White House,” a Miami political source shared with People.
In the past month, she has divided her time between the White House and the Trump family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. However, sources close to People indicate that Melania has not been engaged in any official First Lady duties in Washington.
“[Donald and Melania] both live at Mar-a-Lago and have quarters at the White House,” the source explained. “But she leads her own life and joins him when appropriate at either location.” When staying in Palm Beach, the source added, Melania “keeps to herself” but does join Donald for dinner “on occasion.”
Melania has a clear vision for her second term as First Lady. During her first term, she dedicated much of her focus to the Be Best campaign, which aimed to combat bullying and support children. The Slovenian-born former model told Fox in January that she hopes to expand the campaign’s reach in the coming years.
“I didn’t have much support from anyone,” Melania shared. “I invited all the streaming platforms to the White House. I had the roundtable, but I didn’t receive much backing from them. Imagine what we could accomplish if they rallied behind me and helped teach children about social media and protecting their mental health.”
Melania Trump Reopens the White House for Public Tours
What’s in store for Melania during her second term? One of her first initiatives was to engage the public. In February, she announced the reopening of the White House to public tours.
“The President and I are excited to welcome those interested in exploring the extraordinary story of this iconic landmark,” the First Lady shared. “The White House offers a unique opportunity to learn about the American Presidency, the First Families who have lived here, and our nation’s rich history—all through firsthand experience. This tradition is one we are proud to continue for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come here each year.”
Melania’s path to the White House is a remarkable one. Born in Slovenia, she began modeling at the age of five, appearing in children’s fashion shows, much like many children of workers at a clothing factory in Sevnica.
Even as a young woman, Melania stood out. She moved to a small apartment in the suburbs of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, as a teenager. There, she attended a specialized high school for industrial design and photography, dedicating herself to her studies with a strong sense of purpose.
From Slovenia to the White House
At 17, Melania’s life took a transformative turn. After a fashion show, Slovenian photographer Stane Jerko spotted the quiet teenager leaning on a fence.
“She was tall, slim, with long hair and legs, which made her perfect for modeling. I also saw something in her—an inner energy,” Jerko shared with Voice of America.
At 18, Melania signed with a modeling agency in Milan and adopted the name Melania Knauss. She spent a few years modeling in Milan and Paris, building a solid career, though not yet a supermodel’s fame. In 1995, she caught the attention of Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, who was a friend of Donald Trump.
This was a game-changing moment. Zampolli convinced her to move to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa, where her career took off. She lived in a shared apartment at Gramercy Park in New York, but at 26—older than the typical aspiring model—she took a bold risk to stand out. She posed for a nude photo in the French men’s magazine Max. This gamble paid off, and her face soon appeared on Times Square billboards for a cigarette advertisement due to a law that allowed older models to promote tobacco.
When Melania met and married Donald Trump and later gave birth to their son Barron, she decided to step back from her modeling career. Her life dramatically shifted, and in 2006, she became a U.S. citizen. The process, however, wasn’t easy. In 2023, Melania reflected on her immigration journey during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington. She admitted that navigating immigration laws was challenging and “opened her eyes to the harsh realities” faced by those trying to become U.S. citizens.
When Donald Trump became president for a second term, his immigration policies, including threats of mass deportations and revoking legal status for 530,000 immigrants, sparked controversy. Some, including Democrat Congresswoman Maxine Waters, suggested Melania’s immigration status should be questioned. During an anti-DOGE protest in Los Angeles, Waters commented, “If Trump is looking so closely at those born in the U.S. with undocumented parents, maybe he should first look at Melania.”
Despite this controversy, Melania returned to the public eye on April 1 at the Women of Courage Award Ceremony, wearing a leopard-print dress and receiving a warm welcome. The award, established by Condoleezza Rice in 2007, honors women globally for their courage, strength, and leadership. This year’s recipients included human rights activists, journalists, and marine conservationists.
In her speech, Melania said, “Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and show bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles. Today, we celebrate courage—a strength rooted in love. We are honored to stand with these remarkable women, who, through love, refuse to let fear or hardship define them. Their resilience moves us all.”
