Former First Lady Melania Trump has broken her long-standing silence on the 2024 presidential race Sunday, slamming President Joe Biden’s administration in a rare statement — and issued her full support for her husband’s presidential campaign.
The move came just two days before former President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated debate with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, scheduled for September 10.
In a black and white video shared on social media platform X, Melania Trump addressed several key issues, marking her most significant public intervention since leaving the White House in January 2021.
“The 2020 election results changed our lives forever,” she stated. “It impacted our quality of life, cost of food, gasoline, safety, and even the geopolitical landscape.”
“America is more divided today than ever before,” she said. “It has become increasingly apparent that there are significant challenges to free speech, as demonstrated by the efforts to silence my husband.”
This statement follows Melania’s notably low profile during the early stages of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. Unlike her active involvement in the 2016 and 2020 presidential bids, she has largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years, making only a brief appearance at the Republican National Convention in July following an assassination attempt on the former president.
The timing of Melania’s statement is particularly significant, coming right before Trump’s highly anticipated debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. It shows a shift in campaign strategy, with the Trump team presenting a united front as the race intensifies.
In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Donald Trump expressed his desire for Melania to take a more active role in his campaign, while also acknowledging the challenges.
“Well, I would like to. It’s not a question of that. It’s a nasty world for me,” he stated, a reference to the recent assassination attempt.
Alongside her statement, Melania also teased the release of her upcoming memoir, simply titled “MELANIA,” set to be published on October 1st. The book promises to offer an “intimate portrait” of her life, including her Slovenian childhood, her career in high fashion, and her time in the White House.
“Writing this memoir has been a deeply personal and reflective journey for me,” Melania said in a separate video announcement.
Her book, available for pre-order at various price points including a $250 “collector’s edition,” promises to provide unprecedented insights into her experiences and perspective.
Take a look at her statement —
https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND pic.twitter.com/Xvn7Q4gUpZ
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) September 8, 2024