Melania Trump's Background: Getting to Know the Future First Lady

By Whitney Dotson
7687653
 Reuters

Unfortunately with all of the hazed frenzy surrounding her controversial husband, Melania seems at times relatively lost in the shadow of her husband's reputation. It would seem, however, that in just briefly reviewing her background and history, Mrs. Trump has plenty of interest---and warmth---of her own.

Melania was born in 1970 to an impoverished family in Novo-Mesto to a father whose loyalty to the atheistic principles of Marx and Lenin coursed so deeply as to prohibit the young Melania from any expression of her family's historically Roman Catholic backdrop. Known then as Melanija Knavs, she began financially aiding her family by modelling at the tender age of five; her first commercial work began in her early teens. From there, she continued with serious modelling and, after moving to New York, became an official US citizen in 2006. She also met future husband Donald Trump ad the to married after a five-year courtship in an Episcopalian church. Mrs. Trump continues to frequent the Eucharist denied her in childhood.

Definitely an example of combined "brains and beauty," Melania speaks a total of six languages English, French, Italian, German as well as her own native language of Slovene. She will be just the second foreign-born First Lady to Louisa Adams. In addition, she is also, alongside Eleanor Roosevelt, among the tallest, towering elegantly at 5-foot-eleven-inches.

Melania's contentment is perhaps best revealed in that, following such a successful career and marriage to a celebrity, her priority is motherhood. In fact, she designs to remain at Trump Tower throughout at least the remainder her son, Barron's, school semester. Her focus is also evidenced when she responded to her envisioned role as first lady: she plans to embrace a more "traditional" persona, likening her vision to Jackie Kennedy. Melania has expressed the desire to maintain a low-key public role during her husband's administration, one crusade she ventures to fight concerns the increasingly relevant topic of cyber-bullying via social media networks. Where Michelle Obama campaigned for childhood health issues, Melanie endeavors: "To find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other."

Melania makes it apparent, however, that while husband Donald Trump insists that the two "never fight," they do share their differences of opinion. On occasion, Mrs. Trump and even Donald's daughter with first wife Ivana, often remind him to " act more presidential." While Donald routinely requests her advice, she is quick to point out, he still surmises in the end to do what he wants. Melania Trump, therefore, is not to be perceived an exact reflection of her husband's beliefs. She must be judged on her own and by her personal actions which, she hopes, will appeal to more of a classical first lady. And though the two do share their differences of opinion, Melania plans to remain the supportive wife throughout. One such matter that both are agreed on concern the matter of illegal immigration. On this point, Mrs. Trump supports and intelligently argues against from a personal front: "I follow the law. I follow the law the way it's supposed to be," she said. "I never thought to stay here without papers. I had [a] visa, I traveled every few months back to the country, to Slovenia, to stamp the visa. I came back. I applied for the green card. I applied for the citizenship later on after many years of green card. I went by [the] system. I went by the law. And you should do that. You should not just say, 'Ok, let me stay here, and whatever happens happens."

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