"I could say that I am the most harassed person in the world," says Melania Trump
The first American lady minimizes in an interview the alleged infidelities of Donald Trump: "It is not a concern for me"
Barely blinking and maintaining the serious face of her that characterizes her, Melania Trump minimizes in a television interview the alleged infidelities of her husband. "It is not a concern and a focus for me," the first lady tells ABC, according to the first excerpts of the interview. Melania, however, avoids categorically denying the alleged adventures of Donald Trump a decade ago, when they were already married, to a porn film actress and a former Playboy model. Although she claims to be happy in her marriage: "Yes, we are fine."
Melania Trump is one of the great mysteries of the 20-month presidency of the Republican. Like all of her predecessors, she is under constant scrutiny of what she does and says. She seems to feed him herself, for example when last June she wore a jacket with the legend 'I really don't care. You? ’During her trip to Texas to meet immigrant families who had been separated by a controversial government directive. Her beginnings as first lady have been convulsive: she did not initially move to the White House, she had to undergo kidney surgery and her first draft initiative, against cyberbullying, seems ironic given the constant attacks by her husband, through Twitter , against the press and their political rivals.
The first lady has barely granted interviews, although she has made an effort to set her own profile when she has deemed it appropriate. Her interview with ABC took place last week in Africa, which was her first solo trip of hers. Even before Trump's election victory in 2016, Melania was already living under a constant focus of musings about whether she is happy with the president.
“I am a mother and first lady, and I have much more important things to think about and do. I know that people and the media like to speculate about our marriage, ”she answered in the interview to a question about whether the accusations of infidelity have damaged her relationship with the president.
The president's wife, with whom he has a son (Barron, 12), had so far avoided directly assessing the case of Stormy Daniels, the porn film actress who says she had a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006 and 2007. Michael Cohen, the president's loyal lawyer until recently, has admitted to having paid money to Daniels, by order of Trump, in order to guarantee his silence in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections. The transaction may constitute an electoral crime and is subject to a judicial investigation. Trump has denied the affair with the actress.
Rudy Giuliani, who is now the president's main lawyer, said last June, in connection with the Stormy Daniels indictment, that the first lady "believes her husband and knows this is false." However, in the ABC interview, Melania Trump avoids seconding those statements when she is asked if they are rigorous. "I've never spoken to Mr. Giuliani," she says. And when she is asked why the lawyer would make that statement, she responds: “I don't know. You have to ask him ”.
The first lady also acknowledges that she has been hurt by Trump's accusations of infidelity. "Yes, the speculation of the media," she answers after several seconds of silence, pondering her answer. "It's not always comfortable, of course, but I know what is right and what is wrong, and what is true and not true," she adds. And at another moment she emphasizes: "I am very strong and I know what my priorities are."
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During the interview, Melania also addresses the workings of the White House. She moves on a fine line in which she avoids meddling in the day-to-day running of her husband's presidency, but she drops deep sentences. She maintains that there are people working for Trump that she does not trust even though she avoids naming names. She claims that in the past she has told the president and that some of those people are no longer in the White House.
The first lady she alleges that "you always have to look at your back," in what can be interpreted as a fear of betrayal among Trump's closest associates. And she claims to be the victim of constant harassment herself. "I could say that I am the most harassed person in the world," she emphasizes. "If you really see what people are saying about me."
Even so, she claims to be content with her current life. "I'm enjoying. I really love living in Washington and in the White House, ”she says, disproving rumors that she would prefer to reside in New York as she did before. And she welcomes continuing in the city until January 2025 if Trump wins re-election in 2020: “I think my husband is doing an incredible job for this nation and I want the American people to succeed. I will support what he decides ”.
