Melania Trump, the wife of former President Donald Trump, has once again stepped into the spotlight as she prepares to release her memoir titled “Melania.”
The book, set to be published by Skyhorse Publishing on October 8, 2024, promises an inside look into her time as First Lady, her life before entering politics, and the public scrutiny she faced.
Melania Trump, 54, became the First Lady of the United States when her husband won the presidency in 2016. Despite holding this prominent role, she maintained a relatively low public profile, often avoiding the traditional duties expected of a first lady. Her 2016 Republican National Convention speech came under fire for alleged plagiarism, setting the tone for her unusual approach to public life. In one of her few appearances during the 2024 campaign, she stood beside her husband at the Republican National Convention but refrained from speaking.
Now, as the 2024 presidential election looms, Melania Trump is breaking her silence. In a series of promotional videos released ahead of her memoir, she addresses topics such as her nude photoshoots, her role as a mother, and her grievances with the media. She also speaks out against the FBI raid of her Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022, where agents searched for classified documents.
In one video, she expresses disbelief at the invasion of her privacy by the government, calling it a “warning” to all Americans.
The timing of Melania Trump’s memoir is significant. With just weeks left before the November 5 election, she remains a potential future first lady. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, commented on this timing, saying, “She is capitalizing on the time she has left before the election. Her [market] value is gone if she is no longer a prospective first lady.” Wolkoff, who now supports Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, added, “If Harris wins, I believe people will want to move on.”
The memoir offers a glimpse into Melania Trump’s personal life, including her time as a fashion model and her relationship with Donald Trump. Despite the controversies surrounding her husband’s two impeachments, criminal charges, and the hush money scandal involving porn actor Stormy Daniels, Melania has remained largely silent on these matters. Her memoir is not expected to touch on these issues, focusing instead on her experiences as a wife and mother, as well as the public scrutiny she faced.
Melania Trump’s decision to publish her memoir through Skyhorse Publishing, rather than one of the major New York publishing houses, is another departure from the norm. Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, both former first ladies, worked with larger publishers and secured multimillion-dollar deals for their books. According to sources, Melania’s team had discussions with several major publishers but was unable to reach an agreement, ultimately opting for Skyhorse, a company known for publishing controversial figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Woody Allen. A spokesperson for Skyhorse declined to comment on the specifics of the negotiations.
Financially, Melania Trump has been active since leaving the White House. Her husband’s financial disclosure report from August 2024 revealed that she earned $330,000 from the sale of NFTs and $237,500 for a speaking engagement at a Log Cabin Republicans event in Palm Beach, Florida. These earnings highlight her careful attention to securing her financial future, especially as she remains largely absent from her husband’s campaign events.
Despite her relatively low profile, Melania Trump has faced significant criticism for several controversial actions as First Lady. Her renovation of the White House Rose Garden, which removed iconic features installed during the Kennedy era, continues to draw the ire of historians. Additionally, her decision to wear a Zara jacket emblazoned with the phrase “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” during a visit to children separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border remains a lasting mark on her public image.
Robert Watson, a historian and expert on first ladies, noted that Melania’s tenure as first lady broke many of the traditional norms associated with the role. “One of the cardinal rules for a first lady is to do no harm… in this respect, Melania comes up short,” Watson said in an email.
As Election Day approaches, the release of Melania Trump’s memoir may serve as her final opportunity to shape her legacy in the public eye. Whether she will return to the White House as first lady once again or retire from the political stage remains in the hands of voters.