In her first television interview since her husband Donald Trump won the presidential election, incoming First Lady Melania Trump appeared on her spouse’s favorite morning show Fox & Friends to discuss her son Barron’s impact on the “bro vote,” the president-elect’s infamous dance moves, and how she’s handling the transition into the White House.
Along the way, Mrs. Trump also took the opportunity to pitch a “stocking-stuffer” version of her coffee table book, as well as a limited-edition set of Christmas ornaments and collectibles that she said would make a “great gift.”
Acknowledging that this is her second transition, Melania told the Fox & Friends hosts that “this time it’s very different because we already know where we’re going,” adding that “we don’t need to go back in” when it comes to figuring out the interior decoration.
She also claimed that after her husband first won the presidency back in 2016, the Obama administration didn’t give them “much access” to the White House before Trump officially took office in January 2017. “The first time was challenging,” she declared. “But this time, it’s already in process.”
Melania, who is reportedly unlikely to move to the White House full-time during a second Trump administration, did not bring up the lack of access the Biden administration was given after her husband attempted to overturn his election loss in 2020.
Asked about the assassination attempts on her husband during the campaign, Melania said she hoped the political rhetoric would tone down while expressing her desire for the country to become “united” going forward. “I’m always against violence,” she added. “I think nothing is accomplished with the violence, and that’s what we need to talk about.”
Elsewhere in the extremely sympathetic sitdown, Melania was asked about the president-elect’s awkward dance that became a staple of his campaign rallies and has since been mimicked by athletes and celebrities following his election victory.
Noting that people across the country are copying her spouse’s dance moves, Melania asserted that not only is this not the way she herself dances but that she’s never even tried to do the “Trump dance,” claiming he came up with it all on his own.
She also mentioned her son Barron and how “very proud” she is of the college freshman, claiming his knowledge of politics has grown over the years. On top of that, she credited her son with helping his father make gains with young voters, especially men, by pushing the incoming president to appear on podcasts aimed at the “bro” demographic.
“He was very vocal and gave advice to his father,” she stated. “He was incredible in how he brought in success.”
While insisting that Barron liked attending New York University, Melania admitted that she doesn’t think it’s possible for him to be a normal student at this point.
Much of the interview, however, was dedicated to giving the incoming first lady a platform to sell some of her self-branded merchandise to Fox News viewers. Besides pitching a trimmed-down edition of her best-selling memoir Melania, which the hosts helpfully noted could easily fit in stockings, the soon-to-be first lady also hawked ornaments and jewelry that would only be available this Christmas season.
“It turns out your book is on the New York Times best-seller list,” co-host Steve Doocy excitedly exclaimed. “It’s also a fantastic last-minute gift. It’s the perfect size to put in a big stocking — a great stocking stuffer. For more information you can buy the book at MelaniaTrump.com. It must be very gratifying that so many people want to know more about you.”
The hosts and the incoming first lady also explained that some of the proceeds from the sale of Melania’s collectibles go towards supporting her “Be Best” initiative, which she said helps provide scholarships and opportunities to children in foster care, and aims to promote the well-being of children and combat cyberbullying.
Displaying her latest collection of Christmas ornaments and necklaces, which she insisted would be discontinued after this holiday season, Melania claimed that she designed them personally and they are “very special.”
“For example, Lady Liberty, it was [an] inspiration from my necklace that I bought when I was modeling in Paris,” she said, adding that both the ornament and necklace are available for purchase at her website. The ‘Lady Liberty’ necklace is a gold-plated replica of the iconic Statue of Liberty, adorned with Swarovski crystals, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
According to the website, this year’s ornaments cost between $75 and $90 a piece, while the price of the “Lady Liberty” necklace is $600.
“These are awesome! These are fantastic,” co-host Brian Kilmeade gushed while showing off the merchandise to the Fox & Friends audience.
Melania’s promotion of her Christmas collection follows her announcement last month that she is selling a digital photo set of herself for $195 apiece. The photo collection included 16 digital images of the incoming first lady “on the move” and in a variety of settings.
Throughout the presidential campaign and even after the election, both the president-elect and his wife have faced criticism for promoting other business interests that they are personally profiting from. For instance, in the months leading up to his electoral victory, Donald Trump peddled NFT trading cards, cryptocurrency, “Trump Bibles,” gold sneakers and branded “victory” watches that cost as much as $100,000.
