Melania Trump, who had refrained from appearing at official events including campaigns ahead of the November presidential election, spoke out upon the release of her memoir. She blamed the Democratic Party and the media for the assassination attempts targeting her husband, former President Donald Trump, and raised her voice saying that America still needs former President Trump.
Melania Trump during an interview with Fox News' "Fox & Friends" [Image source= Fox News broadcast capture]
In an interview with Fox News' "Fox & Friends" aired on the morning of the 26th (local time), Melania said, "The opposition party and mainstream media have labeled him (Trump) as a 'threat to democracy' and called him terrible names," adding, "Isn't it shocking that all this baseless violence was inflicted on my husband?" She claimed that the politically charged atmosphere that encouraged such violence existed behind the two assassination attempts on former President Trump. She said, "They (those attacking Trump) are merely fostering a harmful atmosphere," and added, "This must stop. The nation must unite."
It is very unusual for Melania, known for valuing her privacy, to appear in a broadcast interview. The New York Times (NYT) reported that this interview was her first in about two years. The Washington Post (WP) also evaluated, "Melania had not appeared publicly even after Trump announced his third presidential run 22 months ago," and "This Fox News interview was a rare event where Melania was not only seen but also heard." Melania appeared on the recorded broadcast to promote her upcoming memoir, 'Melania.'
In the broadcast, Melania said that when former President Trump was shot in July, she learned about it while watching television at home. She said she spoke with Trump after he was taken to the hospital but did not specify which of the two attempts it was or what was said during the call. Instead, Melania strongly criticized the media coverage of the assassination attempts, which flooded the news only for the first few days and then went quiet. She said, "I had many questions," and pointed out, "What is going on? This is not normal."
In particular, Melania said, "I think both incidents were miracles," emphasizing, "July 13, when Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was a miracle." She added, "It seems something was watching over him," and "The country really needs him. He survived for an important purpose." She also mentioned that the reason she refused to speak at the Republican National Convention, which was held like a 'Trump coronation,' was because she had written a letter calling for an end to violence right after the shooting incident, saying, "In some ways, that letter was like my speech."
Along with this, Melania responded to the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate by saying that her husband, former President Trump's career, says it all. She claimed, "My husband led the country with peace and strength," and argued that America prospered and there was no war under Trump's administration. On the other hand, she said about President Biden, "The country is suffering." The NYT pointed out that while Melania defended former President Trump's actions that day, she was vague and selective about the details.
Additionally, Melania expressed anger over the FBI's search of the Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022, calling it a "violation of privacy." Meanwhile, Melania recently became embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that she received tens of millions of won at once for speaking at a fundraising event held by a conservative organization.
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