Melania Trump, the spouse of former President Donald Trump, is back in public view, readying to launch her memoir “Melania.”
Scheduled to be released by Skyhorse Publishing on October 8, 2024, the memoir promises a revealing look into her tenure as First Lady, her pre-political life, and the public scrutiny she endured.
Becoming the First Lady of the United States in 2016 at the age of 46, following her husband’s presidential victory, Melania Trump maintained a relatively low public visibility. She often sidestepped the traditional responsibilities associated with the role of a first lady. Her 2016 Republican National Convention speech sparked controversy due to allegations of plagiarism, marking her unconventional approach to public life. During the 2024 campaign, she made a few appearances, including at the Republican National Convention, where she refrained from addressing the audience.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Melania Trump, 54, is speaking up. Ahead of her memoir’s release, she has addressed various issues in promotional videos, including her nude photoshoots, her role as a mother, and her issues with the media. She also voiced her opposition to the FBI’s 2022 raid of her Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, when agents searched for classified documents.
In one of these videos, she expresses her astonishment at the government’s invasion of her privacy, describing it as a “warning” to all Americans.
The timing of Melania Trump’s memoir is noteworthy. With the November 5 election just weeks away, she is still a potential future first lady. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, spoke on this timing, stating, “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 currently supports Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, added, “If Harris wins, I believe people will want to move on.”
The memoir provides insight into Melania Trump’s private life, covering her career as a fashion model and her relationship with Donald Trump. Despite the various controversies, including her husband’s two impeachments, criminal charges, and the hush money scandal involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels, Melania has remained largely quiet on these issues. Her memoir is not anticipated to address these controversies; instead, it will focus on her experiences as a wife and mother and the public scrutiny she endured.
Melania Trump’s choice to release her memoir through Skyhorse Publishing, as opposed to a major New York publishing house, is another deviation from the norm. Both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, former first ladies, collaborated with larger publishers and secured multimillion-dollar deals for their books. Reportedly, Melania’s team had discussions with several major publishers but failed to reach an agreement, ultimately choosing Skyhorse, a company recognized for publishing contentious figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Woody Allen. A Skyhorse representative declined to comment on the negotiation details.
Financially active since leaving the White House, Melania Trump 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, according to her husband’s financial disclosure report from August 2024. Such earnings underscore her focus on securing her financial future, particularly as she is largely absent from her husband’s campaign events.
Despite her relatively low profile, Melania Trump has received considerable criticism for several controversial actions during her time as First Lady. Her renovation of the White House Rose Garden, which eliminated iconic features installed during the Kennedy era, has drawn criticism from historians. Moreover, her choice to wear a Zara jacket with the phrase “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” during a visit to children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border has left a lasting impression on her public image.
Historian and first ladies expert Robert Watson observed that Melania’s tenure as first lady broke several 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 stated in an email.
As Election Day nears, Melania Trump’s memoir could provide her final chance to shape her public legacy. Whether she returns to the White House as first lady or withdraws from the political scene is in the voters’ hands.
