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In 1998, Melania Trump met Donald Trump at a fashion week party at the Kit Kat Club, hosted by Paolo Zampolli, the founder of ID Models. The encounter was memorable, as Donald Trump arrived with another woman but still attempted to get Melania’s phone number while his date was in the bathroom. Reflecting on that moment, Melania recalled, “I knew who he was but I didn’t know about his life, about what was going on. I had my life. I didn’t care about his. I wasn’t starstruck,” she told DuJour.
Melania’s independence has been a defining trait throughout her life, and it remains so despite her fame. Even as the wife of a former president, she avoids the spotlight as much as possible. “I have a life. I go out every day. I bring my son to school. I pick him up. I’m not an attention seeker. I’m not the one who calls paparazzi, ‘I have lunch with the girlfriends, and I’m going to this restaurant,’ ” she asserted.
However, Melania was well aware of the challenges that come with being associated with someone as famous as Donald Trump. “When you walk in a room, everybody knows the person. Sometimes people see you with that man and maybe they know more about the man, and they judge you or see you differently,” she remarked. “You need to know who you are and you need to be very secure. You need to stand up for yourself. You need to have your own yes and no.”
Melania has always maintained a balance between supporting Donald Trump and preserving her own identity. During a 2015 interview with ABC News, she said, “We have a great chemistry and to be with a man like my husband, you need to know who you are. You need to have a very independent life and support him, you need to be very smart and quick, and be there for him when he needs you.”
When asked what Donald admires most about her, Melania confidently responded, “I’m my own person. I’m not a yes person. So I tell it as it is. I told my opinions, and I was always like that. So I think he likes that.”
Before Donald announced his candidacy for president, Melania knew the path ahead would be challenging. She recalled telling him, “You really need to think, because our family life will change. The three of us will change. I know what it takes, traveling and all that stuff. I told him if he really wanted to do that, I would support him 100 percent. But I would also be a mom first. Our son needs parents, and I don’t want somebody other than me taking care of him.”
Melania’s words and actions reflect her strong sense of self and commitment to her family, a balance she has maintained throughout her public life.
