Long before the scrutiny that came along with his second-term at the White House, there was the sofa on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. On it, in 2004, Donald Trump sat beside his then-fiancée, Melania Knauss and looked unsure.
The clip has resurfaced again, and this time, it’s being rewatched with fresh eyes. Were Trump’s awkward comments about marriage an early sign of the distance that allegedly defines the pair’s relationship?
Back then, Trump was promoting a new season of The Apprentice. Greenland wasn’t on his political radar just yet, if he even had one that is. So when Ellen DeGeneres asked him about his engagement, the usually confident businessman sounded uncertain.
“I think it’s going to work,” he said. He then turned to Melania and asked, “Do you think it’ll work?” He then answered himself, “I think so. I think it’s going to work.”
On the other hand, Melania was relaxed and showed off her enormous engagement ring as she joked about Trump not taking out the trash. She was far more at ease discussing their future than her husband-to-be.
Donald and Melania Trump on the Ellen show. pic.twitter.com/EgjuongbCL
— Mila Joy (@Milajoy) June 28, 2025
Body language expert Judi James analyzed the footage for The Irish Star. She said that Trump appeared “keen to keep away from any Hollywood gush or soppiness.”
He was rigid, and his hands were clasped. James noted that he sat in his now-familiar “presidential squat,” which is how he emotionally guards himself even from daytime TV.
James suggested Trump seemed uncomfortable revealing much about his private life, particularly about his third marriage. And yet, when Melania spoke, Donald softened. James pointed out what she called “the look of love” when he turned toward her.
There was also some finger-tapping that resembled applause. He let her speak and even looked a little sheepish. Melania initiated touch by patting his thigh in what James says looked like a mark of control over him.
Fast forward two decades, and Melania’s public presence is minimal during Trump’s second presidential term. Now we see his hand being swatted away and the two are distance at public events. At Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve 2026, online commentators described Melania’s smiles as “forced,” and now it is she who is “stiff.”
.@POTUS and @FLOTUS arrive for the New Year’s Eve Celebration at Mar-a-Lago.@POTUS says his wish for 2026 is “peace on earth.” 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/8laOp60NMd
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 1, 2026
There is no confirmation of a separation, though.
Trump and Melania married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea church in Palm Beach. Then came a reception at Mar-a-Lago. They’ve been married through presidencies and scandals. But the Ellen clip makes this marriage feel like a negotiation.
Today, Trump’s unromantic “I think it’s going to work” sounds slightly prophetic, doesn’t it?
