Melania Trump, who served as First Lady during some of the most turbulent years in U.S. history, has released her memoir, Melania: A Memoir. This book, touted as an “inspirational” account of her life, covers her experiences in the White House, her childhood in Slovenia, and her modeling career. However, it comes in at just 182 pages, including 31 double-sided pages of glossy photographs, making the written content rather sparse.
Despite the potential for rich storytelling, much of the text appears to be a compilation of her past speeches, lacking in personal anecdotes or depth. The book, priced at $40, launched with a tepid response; bookstores in New York City reported limited interest and low stock levels.
In a stark contrast to the highly successful memoirs of former First Lady Michelle Obama and Barbara Bush, which featured extensive narratives and deeper insights, Melania’s book seems to miss the mark. Obama’s Becoming sold over two million copies shortly after its release, while Melania’s memoir struggles to capture similar attention.
In the book, Melania aligns herself with her husband’s claims about the 2020 election, suggesting that outside forces conspired to prevent his reelection. She expresses disbelief over Fox News calling Arizona for Biden, stating that the election was “not a normal election.” Melania claims her doubts intensified as she observed the chaotic counting of mail-in ballots.
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Melania also disagree with the US election process, writing, “An election should be held on a single day, and polls should close at midnight. Votes are counted, and that’s it. We need that certainty. That’s how fair elections should be done.”
Addressing the January 6 Capitol riot, she mentions a text from her former press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, asking if she would denounce the violence. Melania expresses that she was “perplexed” by the inquiry and claims she “wasn’t aware” of the unfolding chaos. She attributes this lack of knowledge to a failure in communication from her staff, stating that her chief of staff did not provide adequate briefings.
Grisham, who held the role from July 2019 to April 2020 before becoming the first lady’s communications director and chief of staff, revealed the exchange at this year’s Democratic National Convention where she backed Kamala Harris for president.
“On Jan. 6, I asked Melania if we can at least tweet that ‘while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there’s no place for lawlessness or violence,” Grisham, with the text shown on screens behind her, said.
Melania simply responded: “No.”
Blaming her staff for not providing adequate briefings, Melania claims she “wasn’t aware” of the riots that were unfolding at the Capitol.
“Traditionally, the First Lady’s chief of staff provides detailed briefings surrounding our nation’s important issues,” she wrote. “My second White House chief of staff had failed to do so. Had I been fully informed of all the details, naturally, I would have immediately denounced the violence that occurred at the Capitol Building.”
While she condemns the violence of that day, she refrains from holding her husband accountable for the events. Instead, Melania echoes sentiments shared by Trump and criticizes former Vice President Mike Pence without addressing the role of her husband in inciting the mob.
Ultimately, her memoir presents a somewhat disjointed narrative that fails to resonate with readers, leaving many to question its intended impact.
