Good News: What’s Really Going On With Donald Trump’s Marriage…Read More

Former president Donald Trump’s marriage to Melania Knavs, a Slovenian-born former model, was the subject of public scrutiny long before he moved into the White House. Since they wed in Palm Beach, Florida back in 2005, the power couple has dealt with everything from public lawsuits to accusations of gold digging and infidelity. The pair went on to welcome one son together, Barron Trump, in 2006. When the businessman eventually pulled the trigger on his oft-discussed presidential run in 2016, the spotlight on their relationship intensified.

With the impeached former president returning to politics in the 2024 U.S. election, even more probing has been done about his dynamic with his wife on the campaign trail. Even body language experts have weighed in with interpretations of how the subconscious physical cues of the POTUS and the first lady give us hints about their romance (but more on that in a moment). Only time will tell if Donald and Melania’s marriage can withstand such public scrutiny, but let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on with the couple.

In May 2017, President Donald Trump embarked on his first foreign visit since taking office after the 2016 election, and the trip produced so many viral moments, social media could barely keep up. There was the much-memed glowing orb, a questionable bow, and an awkward sword dance, but none of those moments come close to the swat seen around the world.

Upon arriving direct from Saudi Arabia to Israel, President Trump attempted to take the first lady’s hand while they were walking down the tarmac from Air Force One. Melania Trump clearly swatted away the president’s paw, apparently unaware of the approximately 10 million cameras pointed in her general direction. Oof.

The Daily Beast reminded us that Melania also refused to hold Trump’s hand when they arrived in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. Is she trying to tell us something, or is she just not into middle-school PDA?

Even the happiest, most perfect couple is bound to eventually fight, but according to the Trumps, this has never happened to them. Speaking with Fox News in 2016, Melania Trump was adamant that she and her husband have never argued — ever. “We don’t have fights,” she proudly declared. “We disagree, but that’s okay.” The future first lady explained that while they don’t share all the same opinions, they simply don’t try to convince one another that they’re in the right. This, she said, is why their marriage is so healthy. “I’m with my own brain, he’s with his own brain,” she mused. “I tell him my way and he accepts that and I tell him what I think, and he’s the same. He thinks what he thinks.

Similarly, Donald Trump explained to CNN’s Larry King in 2005 that he actually knew it was time to propose to Melania because they never fought. “We literally have never had an argument,” he enthused. “We just are very compatible. We get along.”

Indeed, according to Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan, who wrote a 2020 biography on Melania, “The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump,” the Trumps share a solid bond based on mutual admiration and understanding. “She’s the first call he makes after a speech or a rally because he trusts her — he doesn’t trust many people,” she told The Guardian.

In January of 2000, Donald Trump confirmed to The New York Times that he and Melania Knavs had split, and he did it in the most Donald Trump way possible: surrounded by models at a Miss U.S.A. pageant party.

Melania later admitted to DuJour that the break was partially due to Donald considering running for president. “That was part of it. We were apart for a few months, not long. We got back together,” she said

The aforementioned episode was actually their second split. According to Melania’s friend and former roommate, fashion photographer Matthew Atanian, Donald and Melania had a falling out very early in their relationship. “She had some trust issues with him at the beginning … She kept her apartment to have her own space because of this,” Atanian said to GQ. They only stayed apart for a few months, but if accusations of infidelity and Donald’s political aspirations are still any kind of sticking point, this couple may be in for a rocky road ahead.