Former first lady Melania Trump expressed optimism surrounding the 2024 presidential race, comparing the energy to the 2016 election when former President Donald Trump was first elected.
Trump joined “Fox & Friends” for an exclusive sit-down interview in front of a live audience on Tuesday to discuss the state of the race, how the attempts on her husband’s life have affected her and the success of her New York Times bestselling memoir.
“I feel it’s kind of the same like 2016, the support out there,” the former first lady said. “It’s incredible and… people see what’s going on in the country and what kind of leadership they want…. They want prosperity. They want American dream coming back, so that’s what we will decide on November 5th.”
“I’m not anxious because this time is different,” she continued. “I have much more experience, much more knowledge. I was in the White House before. So when you go in, you know exactly what to expect. You know what kind of people you need to get. You need to have people that are on your team that they have the same vision as me and to serve me because they serve the country.”
Former US President Donald Trump, left, and former US First Lady Melania Trump during a campaign event at Madison Square Garden in New York, US, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. Photographer: Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
A vast majority of polls have Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump neck-and-neck in most swing states, while early voting shatters records in some states ahead of Election Day.
Both candidates have been trekking across the country, visiting states like Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to make their cases to undecided voters with only days left.
“He loves his country, and he wants to make it successful,” Trump said. “And for all of the people… he loves people and he wants to make this country great again.”
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Despite her optimism surrounding the state of the race, she admitted the political atmosphere is much more “dangerous” than before after the former president survived two assassination attempts in recent months.
“It is different. It’s much more dangerous,” she said. “And I am very vigilant and very selective where I go, what do I do.”
“I always said to him… ‘Good luck and be safe,’” she continued. “You never know what kind of phone call you will receive and what can happen in life. Life is fragile, and we need to enjoy it every day.”
Critics have called on top Democrats, like former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Vice President Harris, to tone down divisive rhetoric after some accused him of reenacting a Nazi rally at his Madison Square Garden event over the weekend.
“It’s terrible. He’s not Hitler, and all of his supporters, they’re standing behind him because they want to see [the] country successful,” Trump said. “And we see what kind of support he has.”
The former first lady released her memoir earlier this month, which details everything from her childhood and modeling career, to her courtship with her husband and life in the White House.
The book, which comprises stories of love and betrayal, has become a bestseller on Amazon and also a #1 New York Times bestseller.
Former President Trump and former first lady Melania Trump on their first date. (Melania Trump)
“It’s important that people hear my story because it’s a lot of misinformation and a lot of mistruths out there,” Trump said. “So that’s why I wrote the book… I always wish the best [for] all these people… They need to heal… I wish them all the best.”
“It’s betrayal, but they show the world who they are. They need to go to sleep every night, and they know what they did,” she continued, referring to a friend and former adviser who published a tell-all book back in 2020. “To tape the first lady of the United States on the phone calls and release them to the public and edit those phone calls, it’s a disgrace, and it should never happen to anybody.”
The former first lady is releasing a special collector’s edition of her first-ever memoir, which will be hand-signed and include exclusive photos taken on her iPhone throughout her time in the White House.