Melania Trump’s memoir, Melania, will be released next week, a newsworthy event given her status as both a former and possibly future first lady. That means media outlets will want to cover the book and, if they can, score an interview with the author. CNN, for example, reportedly reached out to Trump’s publisher two months ago to request an interview, and after “several exchanges” about one, it appeared it might actually happen—if the organization was willing to cough up a quarter of a million dollars.
Yes, CNN reports that last week, Trump’s publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, emailed a document marked “Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement.” The agreement, per the outlet, “laid out strict terms for an interview and use of material from the book,” and “On top of that, the agreement stipulated that ‘CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).’” The document, CNN reports, specified that “the payment would be for an interview with a media company—CNN—as well as for licensing photos and excerpts from the book.”
After a reporter from the media organization asked the company about the highly unusual fee, the publisher claimed it was a mistake. “Neither Melania nor anyone from her team knew anything about the NDA and the document that was sent reflected an internal miscommunication,” Skyhorse’s president and publisher told CNN. “Had CNN signed an NDA, in the normal course of business, we would have approached Melania’s team to discuss [specifics of the interview].”
As CNN notes, it is absolutely not standard practice for a public figure to be paid for an interview—especially one who is the spouse of a political candidate—and newsrooms “tend to have strict guidelines against” doing so. And while Skyhorse has insisted that the former first lady knew nothing of the request, the figure initially demanded just so happens to be in the exact same ballpark as fees she has been paid in the past:
Last month, CNN revealed that the former first lady spoke at two political fundraisers for the Log Cabin Republicans this year, and she was paid $237,500 for an April event, according to former president Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosure form. The payment was listed as a “speaking engagement.”
Records show Melania Trump was also paid $250,000 for a [Log Cabin Republicans] event in December 2022, one of three payments for $250,000 or more that she received for speaking that month, just after the former president announced he was running for reelection, according to Donald Trump’s prior-year financial disclosure form.
Regarding the $250,000 request made to CNN, journalist Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, told the outlet, “It’s totally unprecedented. No former first lady has ever done that.”
Paying for an interview “incentivizes the subject to alter what they’re saying to make it more valuable to the organization, to exaggerate or sensationalize,” Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Poynter Institute, told CNN. “Your goal when you interview people is to bring their perspective in so you can get closer to the truth, and if they have some sort of incentive to distort that you are failing your audience.” She added, “It’s super suspect that a political figure’s spouse would want to be paid for something.”
A spokesperson for Melania Trump declined CNN’s request for comment.
Birth place: Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia)
Birth name: Melanija Knavs
Father: Viktor Knavs
Mother: Amalija (Ulcnik) Knavs
Marriage: Donald Trump (January 22, 2005-present)
Children: Barron
Education: University of Ljubljana, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia)
Changed the spelling of her name from Melanija Knavs to Melania Knauss while modeling professionally.
Speaks six languages: Slovenian, French, Serbian, German, Italian and English.
She is the second foreign-born first lady in US history, after Louisa Adams, the English-born wife of sixth US president John Quincy Adams, who served from 1825 to 1829.
Became a model in Yugoslavia at the age of 16.
She has appeared in magazines such as GQ, Vanity Fair and Sports Illustrated.
1996 – Moves to the United States, heading to New York to work for ID Models.
1998 – Meets Trump at a party at the Kit Kat Club in New York.
2000 – Appears in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
March 19, 2001 – Obtains her green card.
July 2006 – Becomes a US citizen.
2010 – Launches her jewelry line, Melania Timepieces and Jewelry, on QVC.
April 2013 – Launches a caviar-based skincare line, Melania Caviar Complexe C6.
July 18, 2016 – Parts of her campaign speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention are alleged to have been plagiarized from a speech delivered by First Lady Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. A speechwriter working for Donald Trump’s company later assumes responsibility for the similarities in the two speeches.
September 1, 2016 – Files a defamation lawsuit against British newspaper The Daily Mail and the US-based blog Tarpley, accusing them of publishing claims that she was an escort in the 1990s. The Daily Mail and Tarpley both issue retractions.
October 13, 2020 –The Justice Department files a lawsuit against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, an ex-friend and former adviser to Trump, claiming she breached a confidentiality agreement by publishing a tell-all book. The complaint asserts that neither the first lady, her chief of staff nor the White House counsel’s office received a draft of the book from Wolkoff and that the former adviser never sought authorization to disclose details of her work for the first lady. On February 8, 2021, the Justice Department drops the lawsuit.
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Melania Hunters.
Trump: She’s been hiding where is she?
And make sure you don’t miss, the Poverty Brothers.
Video:
The situation with missing Melania has gotten so bad that has been promising at his campaign events that she will eventually show up and campaign with him.
Melania Trump hasn’t gone full blown back of the milk carton vanished like Kate Middleton, but she has not been to a single one of Trump’s many, many court dates, so if she won’t show up to support her husband when he is facing prison, what makes anyone think that she will show up at one of his campaign events?
Given her track record, it’s probably better if Melania Trump missing.
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DETROIT—Drawing ire from the costumed fandom at the item’s price and political implications, former president Donald Trump was reportedly booed Tuesday at a local furry convention while hawking his new $399 Never Surrender Trump Tail. “Folks, this is a tremendous tail, really tremendous—perfect for bringing your fursona to life like never before,” said Trump, who turned to show that he was wearing his own fake fur-based tail while ignoring incensed cries of “He’s a Steve!” and several dog-paw-shaped gloves thrown his way by the increasingly enraged crowd. “Some of you don’t like me. That’s okay. I like you. You’re all fur heads, right? Some fluffies. Some musclefurs. See? I get it. And this tail, my God, this tail is fantastic for murrsuits. Well-made. High-quality design. You get a whole furpile where everyone’s wearing this tail? It’ll have you saying ‘Yiff!’ in no time at all.” At press time, reports confirmed the Never Surrender Trump Tail was being resold on eBay for several thousand dollars above retail price.
DONALD Trump would “encourage” Russia to attack any Western nations that fail to pay Nato defence bills.
The ex-US president bragged he once slapped down the leader of a “big country” who asked if America would step in if invaded by Russia.
1
Former US President Donald Trump has sent a warning to Western nations that fail to pay NATO defence billsCredit: Getty
Trump, running for president again, told supporters: “I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent? No I would not protect you’.
“In fact I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You gotta pay.”
A White House spokesman branded Saturday’s comments at a rally in South Carolina “appalling and unhinged” and a threat to global security.
Trump, 77, has claimed too much US cash is spent protecting 30 Nato nations and accused some of failing to spend enough on defence.
READ MORE ON DONALD TRUMP
He has also alarmed allies by claiming to have a working relationship with Russia leader Vladimir Putin while members of his party have blocked vital weapons cash for Ukraine.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security.
“We expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed ally.”
GILBERT, S.C. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday questioned why Nikki Haley’s husband wasn’t on the campaign trail, drawing sharp responses from both the former U.N. ambassador and her husband, who is currently abroad on a National Guard mission.
“What happened to her husband?” Trump told a crowd in Conway, South Carolina, as he and Haley held events across the state ahead of its Feb. 24 Republican primary. “Where is he? He’s gone. He knew. He knew.”
Responded Haley in a post on X: “Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about.”
It’s the latest example of Trump disparaging his opponents based on their U.S. military service, going back to his questioning of whether the late Sen. John McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was a hero because Trump liked “people who weren’t captured.” Throughout his political career, Trump has been accused of disregarding longstanding norms on avoiding attacking current or past servicemembers or people in a politician’s family.
Michael Haley began a yearlong stint in June with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Haley is being deployed as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which the National Guard says is providing support in the Horn of Africa.
Shortly after Trump’s comments, Michael Haley posted a meme on his own X account with a picture of a wolf and the text: “The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack.” Nikki Haley’s campaign confirmed the account belonged to her husband.
Trump has said he avoided service in the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments. And Trump’s wife, former first lady Melania Trump, has been absent from the campaign trail and has not appeared with him at a public campaign event since his announcement speech.
Haley has pushed Trump to debate her as she seeks to change the trajectory of the race after the former president and heavy front-runner won the first three primary states. She again challenged him at a campaign stop Saturday night.
“Donald, if you have something to say, don’t say it behind my back. Get on a debate stage and say it to my face,” she told a crowd.
Haley’s surrogates also wasted no time addressing Saturday’s comments.
“When you start talking about a veteran serving overseas, I don’t care if you know them or not, that should make your heart sick,” said state Rep. Chris Wooten, who introduced Haley at an evening rally.
Haley expressed pride in her husband’s service, adding that every military spouse knows military careers are a “family sacrifice.” As she has frequently done in speeches over the past year, Haley recounted her husband’s difficulty readjusting to life after his deployment to Afghanistan. He couldn’t tolerate loud noises, she said, and couldn’t stand crowds.
People like her husband make such sacrifices “because they still believe in this amazing experiment that is America,” she said.
“If they’re willing to sacrifice for us, shouldn’t we be willing to fight for America here? Because we have a country to save,” said Haley, closing out her speech.
—-
Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The former President Donald Trump revealed on Tuesday that his wife Melania will be more active in his presidential campaign this year than she has been in the past because “she wants to make America great again too.”
Tucker Carlson said, Melania Trump was a better First Lady than Michelle Obama & Jill Biden any day of the week. RT❤️
Daily Mail reported that Trump said that Melania will be “very active” in his campaign throughout this year.
“She wants to make America great again, too,” he said of Melania. “I rely on her for advice and all the others. I think she will be very active in the sense of being active.”
Trump went on to say that he is worried about his family, as he believes they have faced “unfair” attacks.
“They did tremendous job in terms of economic development and jobs, every one of them,” Trump said.
Trump also talked about his 17 year-old son Barron, revealing that he now stands at 6ft 8 inches.
“He’s a good boy, smart, good athlete, very good boy,” Trump concluded.
Melania’s ‘Journey Of Loss And Grief’
This comes at a difficult time for Melania, who is still grieving the death of her beloved mother Amalija Knavs after she passed away earlier this month at the age of 78. On Sunday, Melania took to Instagram to say that she is currently on a “journey of loss and grief.”
“On behalf of my family, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the love and support that you have showered upon us throughout this journey of loss and grief,” she wrote alongside a photo of Knavs.
“We will cherish the beautiful memories of my beloved mother, and forever keep her light in our hearts,” she added.
Today is Melania Day. 🤍 This one’s for you and your “beloved mommy” @melaniatrump may she rest in peace @realDonaldTrump
It is evident that she held a deep affection for her mother. My sincere apologies to the First Lady and the Trump family. She has nurtured an angel whose… pic.twitter.com/RRaviU6TLw
Last week, Melania delivered a powerful eulogy at her mother’s funeral.
“Her nurturing spirit had no limits, creating a legacy that will last for generations,” Melania said of Amalija. “With her beauty and impeccable sense of style she turned heads. But it was her unwavering dedication and hard work that made her exceptional.”
Melania went on to gush over how much Amalija loved her 17 year-old grandson Barron, who she “showered with affection, illuminating his world with love, tender care and unwavering devotion.”
“In her presence, the world seemed to shimmer with radiant joy,” Melania continued, according to Fox News. “She was not just a friend, but a confidant. A ray of light in the darkest of days. In her company, I found peace knowing that she would always be there to listen. She celebrated our successes and provided unwavering support during chaotic times.”
“Our bond was unbreakable,” she added. “A testament to the power of a true love for one another. She was my dear friend. An irreplaceable treasure. A gift bestowed upon me by the universe. And for that, I am entirely grateful.”
“Rest in peace, my beloved mommy,” Melania concluded as her voice cracked with emotion.
Despite relentless attacks from the left and the media, Melania has always taken the high road, showing off a strength and dignity the likes of which few other First Ladies have possessed. She would be a huge asset to her husband’s campaign, so we can only hope that she will indeed be very active in it as the year continues!
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The radically liberal late night host Jimmy Kimmel has long been one of the most anti-Donald Trump people in the entertainment world. However, he hit a new low during his show on Thursday night when he openly fantasized about Trump dying.
What a disingenuous, hypocritical clown. Kimmel whined that A Rodgers said he was on the Epstein list and says calling someone a pedophile isn’t something you say without facts. “The truth still matters.”
Less than two minutes later, Jim insinuates Trump is a pedo… 🙄
Kimmel spent much of his opening monologue attacking Trump, touching on his legal battles as he showed once again just how obsessed he is with the former president.
“Let me tell you something — if those three judges he appointed to the Supreme Court take this case and rule against him, he is going to blow a whale-sized windmill out of his a**. I mean, it might actually kill him,” Kimmel said.
“Sometimes I wonder, once Trump is dead and and gone and buried on the 18th hole of one of his golf courses, will things get better?” he continued. “Or will we have a whole new crop of MAGA brains to deal with?”
Kimmel also talked about Trump being photographed with red splotches on his hands earlier this week, saying that this is “a common symptom of syphilis.” Referring to Trump once saying that avoiding STDs was his “personal Vietnam,” Kimmel added, “but if he has syphilis, that would mean the only Vietnam he avoided was Vietnam.”
Jimmy Kimmel is a sick, disgusting man…”During his monologue, Kimmel speculated that red spots on Trump’s hand are symptoms of syphilis while also joking about the funeral of former first lady Melania Trump’s mother.” Breitbart News
Sinking even lower, Kimmel said that the former First Lady Melania Trump wouldn’t be in danger of getting syphilis if her husband has it because the couple “hasn’t slept in the same bed since… how old is Barron?”
“It’s probably ketchup,” Kimmel stated. “He probably got his hands in a container of curly fries or something.”
Kimmel went on to speculate how Trump would handle it if one of his political opponents was pictured with red splotches on their hands.
“He’d be all over it. He’d talk about it for years. He’d be posting in all-caps about ‘Meatball Ron DeSyphilis’ and ‘Nikki Herpes,’” Kimmel said. “But they haven’t brought it up.”
Earlier this week, Kimmel had a full meltdown over Trump’s massive victory in the Iowa Caucus.
“Even though he barely spent any time in Iowa, he somehow made voters love him more,” Kimmel said, according to Newsweek. “It’s the same strategy he used raising [his sons] Eric and Don Jr.”
Kimmel then played a clip in which Trump celebrated his victory by saying, “These caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps and other quite nice people.”
“It’s like he’s reading his own LinkedIn résumé,” Kimmel said in response. “I mean, seriously. It’s no self-awareness whatsoever.”
After playing a clip of insults that Trump had leveled at his detractors, Kimmel concluded by saying, “Yeah, that’s him. That’s exactly him. That’s the guy.”
Check out that monologue in the video below.
Kimmel’s latest below-the-belt attacks on Trump shows just how afraid the media is of the former president coming out victorious in this year’s presidential election. He can rant against Trump all he wants to, but in the end, he’s not going to sway any voters, as the few people who still watch Kimmel are just as crazily liberal as the late night host is.
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Under a sky filled with gray clouds that promised rain later in the day, the casket carrying a former first lady’s mother was lifted into the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea on Thursday morning.
The funeral for Amalija Knavs, mother to Melania Trump and grandmother to Barron Trump, began at about 10 a.m., with the former first lady, her father Viktor Knavs, Barron, former President Donald Trump and the Rev. Tim Schenck, Bethesda’s rector, meeting the casket at the church sanctuary’s west-facing entrance.
Viktor Knavs (from left), Melania Trump, Barron Trump, former President Donald Trump and Bethesda-by-the-Sea Rector the Rev. Tim Schenck await the arrival of the casket of Amalija Knavs at the church on Thursday.
The Trumps arrived at the church in a motorcade of black SUVs, with Secret Service and Palm Beach police accompanying the vehicles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, about 2.5 miles to the south.
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, right, arrive for the funeral of Amalija Knavs on Thursday.
Amalija Knavs died Jan. 9 at age 78 after an undisclosed illness.
Her casket — carrying the woman whose cooking former President Trump credited with making his youngest son 6 feet, 7 inches tall — arrived in a black Cadillac hearse Thursday morning.
It’s unclear where she will be laid to rest.
Tiffany Trump and her husband, Michael Boulos, arrive Thursday for the funeral of Amalija Knavs.
Donald, Melania and Barron Trump were joined at the church by friends and family, including Donald Trump’s daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, and their spouses, Jared Kushner and Michael Boulos. His sons, Don Jr. and Eric, also attended with their partners, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump.
Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also attended the service.Members of the family did not speak with the media, but Melania Trump did share a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, following her mother’s death.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” the former first lady wrote. “Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.”
Following the service, the casket adorned with white flowers was led back to the hearse by a procession of clergy from the church, with the lead priest carrying incense and Schenck at the rear. The casket followed them, and Viktor Knavs and Donald, Melania and Barron Trump followed the casket.
Trump’s eldest four children remained at the church’s entrance.
The pallbearers lifted the casket into the hearse, as Knavs and the Trumps stood in a row along the curb of South Ocean Boulevard, the shutters of photographers across the street clicking as about a dozen members of the press shifted places on the sidewalk to jockey for clear image.
With the hearse closed, Schenck spoke with each of the four family members, then led the clergy back toward the church.
Melania Trump and her father went into the black SUV waiting for them, just behind the hearse. Donald and Barron Trump sat in the SUV behind theirs. As the former president helped his wife into the car, he appeared to say, “I’m going to ride with our son.”
After the motorcade departed and traffic flowed once more on South Ocean Boulevard, Bethesda’s bells chimed.
Amalija Knavs, the mother of former first lady Melania Trump, has died, Melania Trump said on social media Tuesday evening. Knavs was 78.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija. Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity,” Melania Trump posted to her X account, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy,” she added.
Melania Trump did not announce a cause of death.
FILE — Amalija Knavs, mother of first lady Melania Trump, looks on after departing from Air Force One upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland on Dec. 1, 2019.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Amalija Knavs was born in Slovenia in 1945. Melanija Knavs was born to Amalijia and her husband, Viktor, in 1970. At the time, Slovenia was still under Communist rule.
Melanija attended high school in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modeling.
She married then-real estate mogul Donald Trump in 2005, and their son Barron was born in 2006.
Meghan McCain slammed Trump over comments and a gesture he made about the late Sen. John McCain.
While in Iowa last week, Trump pointed to John McCain for the demise of a 2017 Obamacare repeal bill.
John McCain sustained physical ailments from his over 5 years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam.
Meghan McCain tore into former President Donald Trump on Saturday after the ex-president mocked her father, John McCain, by mimicking the late Arizona senator’s thumbs-down vote that scuttled the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare.
On the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol, Meghan McCain responded to Trump after the former president seemingly made light of the late senator’s arm injuries that came from his five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from 1967 to 1973. Because of injuries that McCain suffered while in captivity, he was unable to move his arms above his head.
“My dad was an American hero. An icon. A patriot that will be remembered throughout history,” she wrote on X. “I cannot buy a bagel without someone approaching me about how much they loved and miss him.”
My dad was an American hero. An icon. A patriot that will be remembered throughout history. I cannot buy a bagel without someone approaching me about how much they loved and miss him.
Trump is a piece of shit, election denying, huckster whose own wife won’t campaign with him. https://t.co/f3RlWLqT9B
During a recent campaign appearance in Iowa, Trump recounted the now-failed July 2017 skinny repeal bill that GOP senators were unable to push through the Senate at the insistence of the then-president.
And he pointed to McCain as the reason for the bill’s demise.
“Obamacare is a catastrophe, nobody talks about it. You know, without John McCain, we would have had it done,” the former president said. “But John McCain for some reason couldn’t get his arm up that day, remember?”
Trump then made a movement to mirror the thumbs-down “no” vote that McCain made on the Senate floor in 2017.
The 49-51 vote, which saw McCain and Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska join every Senate Democrat to beat back the repeal effort, was a massive defeat for congressional Republicans, who had railed against the Affordable Care Act since it was first introduced in 2009. The bill, which years ago was politically divisive but has since become popular with voters, was signed into law in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, served in the US Senate from 1987 until his death in August 2018.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who in 2020 won the special election for the seat formerly held by McCain, blasted Trump on X over his remarks regarding the late senator.
“Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about what it means to put others before yourself and sacrifice for your country,” Kelly wrote on Sunday. “That was how John McCain lived his life, and in Arizona we’re proud of that.”
Business Insider reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
“The former first lady has mostly retreated from public view — and steered clear of the campaign trail — while her husband fights to return to the White House and faces increasing legal peril.
“Since leaving the White House, Melania Trump’s world has gotten smaller. Just how she likes it.”
As reported by S. Daniel Guttman
Dear MUCKA, I am meeting with a Donald on Saturday? Oh, yeah, I remember, that Donald.
Dear MUCKA, Not many people know that MUCKA means “Kitty” in Slovenian. Let’s keep that our little secret, just like my heroine, Anne Frank, kept hers.
Dear MUCKA, Donald has stored many cardboard boxes at Mar-a-Lago. Some in my closet and some in the bathrooms. Cardboard clashes with my décor and my wardrobe. I wonder what is in them?
Dear MUCKA, I saw some boxes being moved around sneakily. Maybe that’s why I can’t find my “I really don’t care, do you?” blouse. Who would want to wear that but me? Donald?? No! I don’t think so.
Dear MUCKA, When I was looking for my blouse, I discovered that there were some war plans in one of the document folders in a box. Fortunately, we are not planning to invade Slovenia. So I was relieved.
Dear MUCKA, Donald was surprised my parents are living at Trump Tower. He said to me, ”Are they still alive? I haven’t seen them since we got married and maybe not even then.”
Dear, MUCKA, I don’t believe the E. Jean Carrol accusations. Donald never offers to help me when I shop.
Dear, MUCKA, Donald asked me to attend a campaign event. That’ll cost him as much as he now owes to E. Jean Carroll.
Dear MUCKA, I am looking for Universities that Baron can attend. It is difficult to find any that haven’t heard of Donald Trump. I did find one school that had no access to the internet or mainstream media. But it was on a South Pacific Island. I’ll keep trying.
Dear MUCKA, I’m still upset that Donald didn’t follow-up on my suggestion to change all USA street signs to Slovenian. It will help Americans to learn another language and help me to know where I’m going.
Dear MUCKA, I just avoided another interview. Whew! Don’t know why the mainstream-media wants my opinions. I don’t want theirs.
Dear MUCKA, I’m so grateful my modeling career prepared me to be First Lady. Thank God I learned how to walk down a runway sexily in Stilettos. And pout.
Dear MUCKA, I tried cooking for Donald for the first time in years, but I forgot to take the wrappers off the Big Macs and the smoke from the oven fire was terrible. But on the plus side, he does like them well done.
Dear MUCKA, I used to be appreciative that Donald chose me from all the women he has grabbed in the Nozinca. Now, I’m less certain.
Dear MUCKA, I got into a big fight with Donald and he threatened to have me deported. I told him his deporting days are over and reminded him that I know where the bodies are buried, and I dug some of them up.
Dear MUCKA, I saw that Donald has kept an old basketball shoe from Shaquille O’Neal . I think I will use it as a gravy boat. I wonder what the gravy will taste like?
Dear MUCKA, I was shocked by the events at the Capital on January 6th. The clothing the well-behaved crowd wore was terrible. No designer labels. No style at all. No wonder they are in trouble.
Dear MUCKA, I will never wear a MAGA hat. It messes up my hair. Besides, what does it mean anyway? Never heard of the word when I learned English in Modeling School.
Dear MUCKA, I just interviewed another candidate for my scholarship charity. I was impressed that she got into cosmetology school on the first try. I believe she will have a major impact on the world of eyeliner.
Dear MUCKA, Uh-oh. I finally got around to reading the pre-nup I signed when I married Donald. It just entitles me to all the pots and pans I can carry in my arms out of Mar-a-Lago in one exit trip. I guess I’ll have to reconsider my filing for divorce.
Dear MUCKA, Donald was just indicted again. I’m glad he is still in the news. I’m sure he will be very happiest and Be Best.
The former First Lady Melania Trump made a rare public appearance on Friday, delivering a powerful speech about becoming an American citizen.
Melania Trump gave a speech at the national archives where she said becoming a citizen takes time, stressed the importance of “guarding freedom” & “contributing to society”
Stark contrast to the Biden admins effort to grant citizenship to tens of millions of foreign invaders pic.twitter.com/g6jewYvlsm
While speaking to 25 newly naturalized citizens at the National Archives Naturalization Ceremony in Washington D.C. on Friday, Melania said that the path to becoming a U.S. citizen is “arduous.” Melania, who was born in Slovenia, recalled that she felt a “tremendous sense of pride and belonging” when she became an American citizen in 2006.
“For me, reaching the milestone of American citizenship marked the sunrise of certainty,” she said, according to The Hill. “At that exact moment, I forever discarded the layer of burden connected with whether I would be able to live in the United States. I hope you’re blanketed with similar feelings of comfort right now.”
After being born and raised in Slovenia, Melania moved to New York City to model back in 1996, and she immediately fell in love with this country and everything it has to offer. She started researching and visiting embassies “with a goal of securing a worker visa,” but she quickly found the immigration process to be challenging.
“My personal experience of traversing the challenges of the immigration process opened my eyes to the harsh realities these people face, including you, who try to become U.S. citizens,” she said.
While Melania was “devoted” to the process, she admitted that she was “certainly was not an attorney,” so she considered herself “fortunate” to have the opportunity to receive legal counsel. In 2001, Melania was able to receive a green card through the elite EB-1 program, nicknamed the “Einstein visa,” which is for people with “extraordinary ability.”
Melania concluded her speech by applauding the 25 new American citizens as she stood next to the Declaration of Independence.
“Becoming an American citizen comes with responsibility, it means actively participating in the democratic process and guarding our freedom,” she told them. “It also means leading by example and contributing to our society. It is a life altering experience that takes time, determination and sometimes, even tremendous strength.”
Melania Trump was in Washington D.C. speaking to new citizens, a job only for a First Lady.
Melania previously told Fox News that she supports her husband Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, saying that she is looking forward to “restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength” if she makes it to the White House once again in 2024.
If she does have the “the privilege” to be First Lady for a second time, Melania plans to once again focus on children in her quest to ensure that they have the “support and resources they need to reach their full potential.”
Back in September, Donald told NBC News that Melania would be on the campaign trail with him “pretty soon.”
“She’s a private person, a great person, a very confident person and she loves our country very much,” he said at the time. “And honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It’s so nasty and so mean.”
What a difference does make when you have a lady resigning in the White House.
Melania was a truly incredible First Lady, and there are millions of Americanas who would love to see her back in the White House. What do you think about the speech that she gave today? Let us know in the comments section.
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A memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter is underway in Atlanta, where former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and all five living current and former first ladies — Jill Biden, Melania Trump, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton — have gathered at what is being billed as a “tribute service” at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory University campus.
The last time all of the living first ladies attended an event together was in 2018 at the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral. All living current and former presidents and first ladies, including Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and the Trumps, attended the service.
The casket of former first lady Rosalynn Carter is seen during a memorial service at Glenn Memorial Church in Atlanta on Tuesday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Before that, in 2007, all current and former presidents and first ladies at that time, including George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush, the Carters and Nancy Reagan, attended the funeral of former President Gerald Ford in Washington.
Rosalynn Carter died last week at 96. She had entered home hospice care in Plains, Ga., after being diagnosed with dementia.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th and longest-living president in American history, turned 99 on Oct. 1. In February, he decided to forgo further medical treatment for an undisclosed illness and entered hospice care at his home.
Former President Jimmy Carter arrives at a tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Glenn Memorial Church in Atlanta on Tuesday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Following Tuesday’s memorial service in Atlanta, Rosalynn Carter will be taken back to Plains for a private funeral on Wednesday at Maranatha Baptist Church, the couple’s home church. From there the casket will then be transferred to a hearse and depart for private interment at the Carter family residence. Jimmy Carter plans to be buried next to her.
A military honor guard carries the casket of Rosalynn Carter in Atlanta ahead of a memorial service Tuesday. (Erik S. Lesser/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
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A guest looks at the program prior to a tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Glenn Memorial Church on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta on Tuesday. (Brynn Anderson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s death on Sunday sparked an outpouring of reactions, with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, among countless others, paying tribute.
Numerous people hailed Rosalynn as a “champion for equal rights,” saying the former first lady was a vocal advocate for mental health, women’s rights, and human rights.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” former President Carter said in a statement released by The Carter Center on Sunday. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
Former president Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter prior to the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. Rosalynn Carter died at the age of 96 on November 19, 2023. Scott Cunningham/Getty
Newsweek reached out to The Carter Center via email for comment.
Tributes shared on social media mourning Rosalynn’s loss highlighted her decades of advocacy and humanitarian work.
President Biden, in a joint statement with First Lady Jill Biden, said Rosalynn “did so much to address many of society’s greatest needs.”
“She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities,” the Bidens said in an online statement sent to Newsweek on Sunday night.
The president and first lady remembered their four decades of friendship with the Carters, noting Rosalynn’s “hope, warmth and optimism.”
The Bidens’ statement also described the “deep love” between Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter as “the definition of partnership.” Rosalynn was married to former President Carter for 77 years at the time of her passing.
President Biden also took to X, formerly Twitter, to mourn the loss of Rosalynn, describing her as an inspiration.
“First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way,” President Biden posted on X. “On behalf a grateful nation, we send our love to the entire Carter family and the countless people whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of Rosalynn Carter.”
First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way.
On behalf a grateful nation, we send our love to the entire Carter family and the countless people whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of Rosalynn Carter.
Former President Donald Trump eulogized Rosalynn in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he described her as a “devoted First Lady, a great humanitarian, a champion for mental health.”
“Over a life spanning nearly a century, Rosalynn Carter earned the admiration and gratitude of our entire nation,” Trump said in the Truth Social post. “From her days as a U.S. Navy spouse, to the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, to her tenure as First Lady of the United States, and her later work at the Carter Center and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, she leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary accomplishment and national service.”
In a post on X, former First Lady Melania Trump remembered Rosalynn for her legacy, saying that she had a “servant’s heart.”
“Rosalynn Carter leaves behind a meaningful legacy not only as First Lady but as a wife and mother,” Melania said in the X post. “We will always remember her servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country. May she rest in peace.”
Rosalynn Carter leaves behind a meaningful legacy not only as First Lady but as a wife and mother. We will always remember her servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country. May she rest in peace.
Michelle said when her family was in the White House, Rosalynn would join her for lunch to offer advice on the role of first lady and always “a helping hand.”
“She reminded me to make the role of First Lady my own, just like she did,” Michelle said. “I’ll always remain grateful for her support and her generosity.”
Michelle said Rosalynn used her platform in “profoundly meaningful ways,” praising her efforts to end the stigma against those struggling with their mental health and being a vocal champion for women’s rights.
Rosalynn Carter’s life is a reminder that no matter who we are, our legacies are best measured not in awards or accolades, but in the lives we touch. We send our thoughts and prayers to Jimmy and the entire Carter family during this difficult time. https://t.co/lqgcusqIhy
Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush said in a statement that Rosalynn was a woman of “dignity and strength.”
“There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity,” the Bushs said in the statement that was posted to X. “She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health. We join our fellow citizens in sending our condolences to President Carter and their family.”
Former President Bill Clinton, in a joint statement with former First Lady Hillary Clinton, said Rosalynn was a “committed champion of human dignity everywhere.” The Clintons said they’re grateful for their four decades of friendship with Rosalynn and her “extraordinary service to our nation and world.”
The Clintons said Rosalynn was compassionate and a “committed champion of human dignity everywhere.”
“Throughout her long, remarkable life, she was an unwavering voice for the overlooked and underrepresented,” the Clintons’ statement reads. “Thanks to her mental health advocacy, more people live with better care and less stigma. Because of her early leadership on childhood immunization, millions of Americans have grown up healthier. And through her decades of work at the Carter Center and with Habitat for Humanity, she spread hope, health, and democracy across the globe.”
“Rosalynn Carter was the embodiment of a life lived with purpose. My and Hillary’s full statement,” President Clinton posted on X.
Rosalynn is survived by her husband, their children—Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy—as well as their 11 grandchildren and their 14 great-grandchildren.
“Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right,” Chip Carter said. “Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans. She will be sorely missed not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The then-first lady didn’t move into the White House until nearly five months after her husband took office, and former friend and advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff recently told the Washington Post why it took so long.
“She refused to move in until they installed a new toilet,” Kimmel explained. “Apparently, she wanted to make sure the toilet was large enough to flush herself down.”
Kimmel also spotted something even stranger: Melania Trump had a list of approved words that could be used to describe her.
The late-night host’s team turned those words into an advertisement with a not-so-hidden message.
“It’s a who’s who of who has no chance to beat Donald Trump,” Kimmel declared, referring to the five as “dopefuls” instead of hopefuls.
“But it is ridiculous to have these debates without the frontrunner,” he noted. “You know things have gone sideways when you’re watching something and you think, ‘God, I wish Donald Trump was there.’”
So Kimmel gave Trump his own debate ― one where he’s battling himself:
“That’s like Melania’s worst nightmare come true,” Kimmel said.
See more of Kimmel’s take on Trump ― including the former president’s latest legal developments in New York ― in his Wednesday night monologue:
Former President Donald Trump revealed to supporters at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on Sunday what his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, hates him doing on stage because she says it’s “not presidential.”
Trump, who waged a war on the LGBTQ+ community during his presidency, attempted to stir the audience by mocking transgender athletes as he vowed to ban trans people from competing in women’s sports if he wins back the White House in 2024.
“What? Should I do this one or not?” Trump asked the crowd. “Because you know, our first lady hates it when I do. She, she says, she said, ‘Darling, I love you so much, but this is not presidential when you do the weightlifting, this is not presidential, or when you do the swimming thing, it’s not … or when you dance off the stage.’”
“She said, ’Sir,” Trump continued, appearing to be on the cusp of diving into his widely-mocked “tears in their eyes” routine, before correcting how his wife addresses him. “No, she said, ‘Darling, I love you, I love you, but this is not presidential. You don’t dance off the stage. This is not presidential.’”
According to Trump, though, he told Melania Trump: “Look. We got a year to go. Everybody loves us. I love everybody. The country’s going to hell in a hand-basket. Let’s do a little dancing.”
“Technically, she’s probably right. But what the hell?” he added to the audience.
“I am backed up like you wouldn’t believe,” he declared, and he wasn’t kidding: that kicked off about eight straight minutes of jokes about the former president.
Kimmel noted that Trump had just been in California, where he vowed to “dampen” the state’s 33 million acres of forest to prevent wildfires and then complained that people in Beverly Hills smell bad because water restrictions mean weaker showers.
“So when you meet somebody with a beautiful house in Beverly Hills you know that person is sorta disgusting,” Trump said.
“That ridiculous man had the nuclear codes for four years,” Kimmel said, then suggested that Trump might have shower worries of his own in the not-too-distant future.
“Wait ’til he finds out about the showers in prison,” Kimmel cracked. “He is not gonna be happy.”
He was referring to the 91 felony counts Trump is facing across four criminal cases.
“It’s like all of Melania’s birthday wishes came true at once,” Kimmel said.
When we last checked in on the great love affair that is the marriage of Donald and Melania Trump, we learned that the former first lady’s take on her husband’s fourth indictment was, effectively, sucks to be you, pal. (A “social source” connected to Melania toldPeople that “this fourth indictment is another problem for her husband,” and not a problem “for her.”) And six weeks later, it appears that the romance is still firing on the exact same amount of cylinders.
Page Six reports that, according to a source, Melania spent the last year renegotiating the terms of her prenuptial agreement with the ex-president, and that her new “postnup” is now in place. According to one source, the former FLOTUS wanted a new deal not because there’s a possibility she’ll have to move back into the White House, i.e., her least favorite placeon earth, but because she’s worried about how much money will be left over for her and her son after Trump is done paying his various legal bills and damages. “This agreement was necessary because of the current legal battles…[Donald] has suffered,” a source told the outlet.
The ex-president has already been ordered to pay author E. Jean Carroll $5 million, and the New York attorney general—who scored a win this week when a judge ruled Trump had engaged in massive fraud—is seeking $250 million in a civil suit. Then there are the lawyers he has to pay to defend him in four separate criminal cases, which obviously do not come cheap. “Trump remains very rich, but with mounting legal bills and judgments,” the source said, noting that the renegotiated prenup would “provide a more solid future” for Melania and Barron should the couple go their separate ways.
Did Melania actually say the words, “Give me more money or I’ll leave your ass”? No, a source told Page Six, but only because it was clearly implied. “It’s not that she threatened to leave him,” the source said. “It’s definitely the underlying idea.” According to another person familiar with the matter, the former first lady wanted the new deal to “provide her with more money,” including cash and property, “and also…there’s a specific amount at minimum that Barron is supposed to obtain.”
As a person familiar with the matter told Page Six, “This is at least the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marital agreement.” Representatives for the Trumps did not reply to Page Six’s request for comment. After Trump was inaugurated, the new first lady delayed moving with him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so she could “amend her financial arrangement,” The Washington Post’s Mary Jordanreported. (According to Jordan, the couple’s original prenup had not been that generous to Melania, but by 2017 “she had been with Trump longer than either of his ex-wives and had bargaining power: Her perceived calming effect on him was so great that Trump’s pals and at least one of Trump’s adult children exhorted her to come to the White House as soon as possible.”)
