Amalija Knavs, the mother of former First Lady Melania Trump, has passed away at the age of 78, as confirmed by Melania Trump in a statement on social media. Melania Trump, in her statement, described her mother as a “strong woman” who carried herself with “grace, warmth, and dignity” and expressed that the family will miss her “beyond measure” while continuing to honor her legacy.
The exact cause of Amalija Knavs’ death has not been disclosed. However, it was reported that she had been unwell for some time. Last week, Donald Trump informed guests at a New Year’s Eve party that Melania Trump was absent because she was at a Miami hospital with her mother, who was described as “very ill.”
Born in Slovenia in 1945, when it was still part of Communist Yugoslavia, Amalija Knavs worked in a textile factory. She was married to Viktor Knavs, a car dealer, and together they raised their daughter Melania in the rural, industrial town of Sevnica. Melania Trump, née Melania Knavs, changed her name to Knauss when she began her modeling career.
Melania Trump and her Slovenian mother shared a close relationship, as noted by Melania’s former senior aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. Wolkoff, the author of “Melania and Me,” recalled Melania Trump’s commitment to taking care of her parents, expressing her prayers for Amalija.
The Knavs family moved to the United States, settling as permanent residents before becoming U.S. citizens in 2018. Melania Trump sponsored their immigration application. The process of their citizenship acquisition, which occurred two years into Donald Trump’s presidency, raised discussions due to Donald Trump’s criticism of the family reunification process, often referred to as “chain migration.”
Amalija and Viktor Knavs maintained a low profile, spending their later years living in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Their life in the United States was marked by a departure from the public eye, contrasting with their daughter’s high-profile role during the Trump presidency.
Former First Lady Melania Trump embarked on her journey to the United States in 1996, settling in New York. She met then-businessman Donald Trump in 1998 and became his third wife in 2005. Melania Trump’s journey from Slovenia to the United States and her eventual role as the First Lady has been a point of public interest, intertwining her personal story with the broader narrative of immigration and American politics.
Amalija Knavs’ passing marks the end of her journey as an immigrant mother who witnessed her daughter’s rise to prominence in American society. Her life story, from working in a Slovenian textile factory to witnessing her daughter become the First Lady of the United States, reflects a unique arc that intersects with significant historical and political events.
The Knavs family has not released further details about Amalija Knavs’ passing at this time.
