Melania Trump’s life is a classic rags-to-riches story, a journey from a modest childhood in Slovenia to a life of opulence as the wife of Donald Trump. She started modeling in her teens, and built successful print and TV career that eventually brought her to the U.S. and into the path of the real estate tycoon who would become president.
But her early modeling work hasn’t been without controversy. When Donald Trump announced his presidential run, critics wasted no time pointing out her provocative photo shoots, including a nude spread on Trump’s private plane for British GQ and a risqué shoot for a French magazine.
The 2000 GQ piece opened with: “Want jet-set chic? Then sex, style and 18-carat gold seat belts are essential. Supermodel Melania [now Mrs. Donald Trump] is the launch pad for 14 pages of high living.”
The media and tabloids pounced, with social media fueling the mockery. Melania, however, didn’t shrink away. She countered with a consistently refined, elegant public image. Still, critics haven’t always been convinced.
In her autobiography Melania, she defended her past, writing: “Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work? The more pressing question is, why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot? Are we no longer allowed to appreciate the beauty of the human body?”
Many weren’t swayed, arguing that posing nude with handcuffs and a pistol wasn’t quite the same as Michelangelo’s David. Her modeling career also reopened questions about her path to U.S. citizenship. Arriving in America in 1996, Melania — then Knauss — renewed her visa multiple times before securing the EB-1 “Einstein” visa, granted only to individuals with “extraordinary ability” in their field. That visa later allowed her parents to become U.S. citizens as well.
Sometimes, destiny is written in the stars
Did you know that in 1993, at just 23 years old, Melania Knauss now Melania Trump, starred in a commercial in Slovenia 🇸🇮 as a model, where she portrayed, with all the hallmarks, a President of the United States?pic.twitter.com/c7EZKVXoH8
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) January 24, 2025
Critics have long claimed hypocrisy, pointing out that Donald Trump has opposed chain migration while his in-laws benefited from it. Others have speculated he may have had a hand in speeding up her application.
The debate resurfaced in June 2025 during a Congressional hearing, when Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) questioned whether Melania truly met the EB-1 standard. “You’re supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, or […] having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.
Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt. It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that the math ain’t mathin’ here,” Crockett said, via Newsweek. Despite the criticism, Melania shows no signs of letting it faze her. With a luxurious lifestyle, a son she treasures, and a permanent home in the U.S., she seems content with her own version of success — controversy and all.
