In a world-exclusive interview to mark the release of her authorised documentary Melania: Twenty Days to History, the First Lady tells HELLO! that she wants her second stint in the White House to create a lasting legacy.
"Being First Lady is a unique and impactful role," Melania says. "It provides an opportunity to shape and influence the nation's legacy. It is essential to recognise, however, that my contributions will be viewed through many lenses. It is crucial to remain mindful and to strive for a legacy that reflects one’s true values and intentions."
© WireImageThis is Melania Trump 2.0, a First Lady who is shaping her role on her own terms this time. And although her documentary steers away from the controversial politics surrounding her husband’s administration, it shows a First Lady who is striving to make an impact.
New approach
With her son, Barron, 19, now at university, this is Melania in a new era, liberated to pursue the campaigns and causes that she cares personally and passionately about. As her exclusive senior adviser and agent, Marc Beckman, said last week: "She’s got a new attitude on everything and she wants to be action-oriented."
And that desire for action has been seen in public in recent months. Last week, the First Lady appeared on Fox News to address protests in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a nurse by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). "We need to unify," she said in the live broadcast, adding: "I’m calling for unity."
Last August, in a sign of how Melania aimed to use her voice to create positive change, she intervened in Russia’s war in Ukraine by writing a letter to President Vladimir Putin, asking him to help to return Ukrainian children who had been taken away from their families and were being held in Russia. She told the Russian leader that he could "single-handedly restore their melodic laughter".
The film focuses on the First Lady’s meticulous planning of events and on her fashion and style – her look, it has been noted, is far sharper in her husband’s second term.
But it also highlights her campaigning and her yearning to help youngsters in the United States. "America’s children remain my top priority," she tells HELLO!.
© Muse FilmsUnprecedented insight
The documentary, which covers the 20 days leading up to last January’s inauguration, moves between moments of deep emotion – including a poignant meeting with an Israeli hostage – and high-level encounters with the French First Lady, Brigitte Macron, and Queen Rania of Jordan, in which Melania discusses her Be Best campaign, which focuses on children’s wellbeing.
But perhaps her most far-reaching undertaking to date – one that she discusses with HELLO! – has been her championing of the Take It Down Act (an acronym of Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks), approved by Congress and signed into law by her husband last May.
© Getty ImagesShe was inspired to campaign for it by her wish to protect children from those who would create harmful images of them without their consent.
"I always want to advance the position of First Lady," Melania says. "Immediately upon assuming the role again, I worked strategically with Congress to pass new legislation – the Take It Down Act – that will protect America’s children from non-consensual intimate imagery, typically created using AI, then posted on social media.
"It is undeniable that we have much work to do as a nation to ensure the next generation thrives. Naturally, this begins within our homes."
Melania’s path to the White House began in 1998, when she met Donald Trump at a party for New York Fashion Week hosted by the modelling agent Paolo Zampolli. The Slovenian-born model later recalled that she was "struck by his energy", adding that "he has an amazing sense of vitality".
Being First Lady is a unique and impactful role. It provides an opportunity to shape and influence the nation's legacy. It is essential to recognise, however, that my contributions will be viewed through many lenses. It is crucial to remain mindful and to strive for a legacy that reflects one’s true values and intentions.
The two became engaged in 2004, when Donald proposed on the night of the Met Gala in New York. "It was a great surprise," Melania said at the time. "We are very happy together." They married in 2005 and welcomed Barron, their only child together, in March 2006.
The documentary makes clear Melania’s focus on her own family: her 81-year-old father, Viktor Knavs, features, as do Barron and, of course, her husband.
She also pays a moving tribute to her mother, who died in 2024 and whom Melania credits with contributing to her own fashion choices and sense of style. "My mother Amalija cultivated my deeper appreciation of design – to create timeless pieces. She was the richest thread in my life," Melania says in the film, which opens with her having fashion fittings at Trump Tower in New York for the inauguration and directing her stylists to make changes.
© Regine MahauxBut it is clear from Melania’s interview with us that in her role as First Lady, children are her primary concern, especially in regard to their online safety. As technology develops, so must the tools that society uses for its own protection, she believes.
"Yes, we live in innovative times, and as a result, we need to reconsider the roles of our corporations and government, particularly if these entities can provide additional growth and protection for our children," she says. "Personal matters surrounding our children, however, should always begin at the familial level. Ideally, American families can provide sufficient support and guidance for our next generation."
She says that we need to equip our children with strong personal values, helping them to deal with a changing society, by empowering parents. "I salute those parents who may feel as if they are voiceless. I see them fighting every day to keep their children safe, working long hours to pay for their home and making difficult decisions to pave their family’s road ahead," she says.
Momentum in midlife
Melania turned 55 last year and is embracing this chapter of her life. Asked whether her outlook and priorities have changed in midlife, she says: "Modern women can balance it all, including careers and families. My new film provides audiences with a glimpse into the 20 days of my personal journey leading up to the inauguration – my life as a mother, wife, daughter, CEO, philanthropist and First Lady."
She was at the vanguard of technology last year, when she used artificial intelligence (AI) that mimicked her voice to narrate the audiobook version of Melania, her 2024 memoir. She believes that it is vital to tread a line between embracing technology and being aware of how others might misuse it.
© Getty Images"More bipartisan work around AI is vital in the short term – for example, we should examine the recent events surrounding AI assistants, mental health and suicide," she says.
Melania is also working to provide security for generations of children growing up in foster care through educational opportunities and scholarships. "Academic tools can empower graduates for their lifetime. Reading alone can arouse creativity and adventure, and open one’s eyes to inspirational ideas and faraway worlds. Fostering the Future scholarships [an initiative of her Be Best campaign] can inspire the next American business titan."
She has travelled the world, and asked to name her favourite country outside the US, she muses that she is grateful to have explored the globe.
"As a young teen, I was fascinated by history and geography. These interests inspired me to pursue my career as a model in iconic cities like Paris, Milan and New York, ultimately shaping my worldview. I am inspired by people across the globe, from the Middle East and Asia, across Africa, Europe and beyond. But the United States of America will always be at the top of my list."
Melania has cautiously guarded her private life. So how does she prepare herself for public engagements? "It’s all in the movie," she says. "Visit the cinema and you will see for yourself – enjoy."
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