Why Melania Trump Once Said With Respect to Donald, “I Had My Life. I Didn’t Care About His.”

In 1998, Melania Trump met Donald Trump at a fashion week party at the Kit Kat Club, organized by Paolo Zampolli, the founder of ID Models. Interestingly, Donald arrived with another woman but still tried to get Melania’s phone number while his date was in the bathroom. Reflecting on the moment, as well as the fact that she did not crazy after the real estate mogul-turned-celebrity, Melania remarked, “I knew who he was but I didn’t know about his life, about what was going on. I had my life. I didn’t care about his. I wasn’t starstruck,” as reported by Dujour.

As per Dujour, Melania’s independence has always been a defining trait. Even to this date, despite her fame, she avoided the spotlight. She asserted, “I have a life. I go out every day. I bring my son to school. I pick him up. I’m not an attention seeker. I’m not the one who calls paparazzi, ‘I have lunch with the girlfriends, and I’m going to this restaurant.’ ”

However, circling back to the fact that she was with someone famous, Melania knew there were certain challenges associated with the same. She exclaimed, “When you walk in a room, everybody knows the person. Sometimes people see you with that man and maybe they know more about the man, and they judge you or see you differently. You need to know who you are and you need to be very secure. You need to stand up for yourself. You need to have your own yes and no.” 

Melania has always been clear with her stand and how she needs to support Donald and yet have her own identity. As per ABC News, during a 2015 interview, she affirmed, “We have a great chemistry and to be with a man like my husband is you need to know who you are. You need to have a very independent life and supporting him, you need to be very smart and quick, and be there for him when he needs you.”

In a different interview, when asked what Donald admires the most about her, she wasted no time and remarked, “I’m my own person. I’m not a yes person. So I tell it as it is. I tell my opinions and I was always like that. So I think he likes that.” Intriguingly, before Donald announced his candidacy the first time around, Melania knew the road ahead would not be easy.

The ex-FLOTUS remarked,  “I said to him, ‘You really need to think, because our family life will change.’ The three of us will change. I know what it takes, traveling and all that stuff. I told him if he really wanted to do that I would support him 100 percent. But I would also be a mom first, I would be with our son, I would be home. Our son needs parents, and I don’t want somebody other than me taking care of him. We made that decision. It’s a big decision [to run], and a selfless decision. To go into that is very selfless because of what we’re going through.”