Donald and Melania Trump have been married for 20 years, and it’s fair to say the couple has had their fair share of ups and downs, even splitting up briefly at the beginning of their relationship.
Recently, speculation has insisted that they no longer care for one another, and that Melania, in particular, remains in the marriage only to enjoy the benefits it brings. But despite all that has been said, one insider has shared a new report about their union, claiming that the Trumps have one ritual each night to keep their bond strong.
Donald and Melania met for the first time in New York City. At the time, Donald was on his journey towards becoming one of the wealthiest and most powerful real estate moguls in the city. Melania, meanwhile, was a model.
There was an initial spark between Melania and Donald. However, former was initially turned off by Trump speaking to her and asking her for her phone number. Speaking with the New York Post in 2005, Melania’s friend, Edit Molnar, recalled how Melania didn’t want to give him it.
“Melania said, ‘He’s here with a woman. I am absolutely not giving him my number,’” Molnar recalled. “She wouldn’t even consider it. Donald did all the work.”
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Melania recalled the day she met Donald. She revealed that Trump didn’t give him one number, but all of them.
“He wanted my number, but he was with a date, so of course I didn’t give it to him. I said, ‘I am not giving you my number; you give me yours, and I will call you.’ I wanted to see what kind of number he would give me—if it was a business number, what is this? I’m not doing business with you,” Melania said, adding that she got numbers to “the office, Mar-a-Lago, home in New York, everything.”
Melania said there was an “undeniable spark” when she met Donald
Melania Trump’s story about how she felt during her first meeting with Donald has differed, as she has previously told a different story about being turned off by him. In a clip shared on her social media channels promoting her memoir, Melania, released in October last year, the 55-year-old said she and Donald had an instant connection.
“From the moment Donald and I met, there was an undeniable spark. There was something magnetic about him: his confidence, his charm, his humor, his vision,” Melania said. “Our wedding was a beautiful affair — a breathtaking gown, a perfectly created menu by a celebrated chef, and captivating live performances by music legends.”
The first meeting isn’t the only thing with different stories in Donald and Melania’s early days. In an interview with Fox News, Melania explained that she and Donald had their first date in New Jersey after she had returned from a modeling shoot in the Caribbean. The couple drove together for an hour and a half to Bedford, New Jersey, where Donald Trump viewed a property he wanted to buy.
“So he was combining business with taking [me] on a first date. And it was very nice, because we were two of us alone in the car for an hour, hour and a half, and it’s no other noise, no other people, because at that time, he was already known and a celebrity,” Melania told Fox. “So it was really nice to be just two of us.”
Donald and Melania began dating, but things didn’t all go to plan. In 2000, the couple briefly separated, and the reason for it has been kept a secret. As reported by the Mirror, Donald tried to get nominated as the presidential candidate for the Reform Party the same year, which was a reason for the split.
Why Donald and Melania Trump split
Donald and Melania eventually got back together when he dropped out of the race. Speaking with DuJour, Melania discussed the 2000 split, confirming that Donald’s political ambitions were one reason.
“That was part of it. We were apart for a few months, not long. We got back together. He was always thinking about it. But he loved what he did, he had his business. He was not saying, ‘Now is the time.’ He always had that in him,” Melania said.
Although there were some issues, they found each other again and tied the knot in 2005. They have been through plenty together since, and perhaps they even would’ve laughed if someone at their wedding service had said that they would spend two terms at the White House, though Donald had aspirations to pursue a political career early on.
So, what is the secret to Donald and Melania’s long-term marriage? In her tell-all book, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania’s former friend and closest confidante before her White House exit in 2018, explained that Melania knew she was different from Ivana and Marla.
“She was very well aware of what he wanted — and didn’t want — in his third wife. He wasn’t the kind of husband who cheered on his wife’s career,” Wolkoff wrote. “Melania told me the secret of her long marriage to him is that she is completely different from his other wives.”
“Unlike Marla Maples, Melania didn’t pressure him emotionally. Unlike Ivana, his first wife, who ran one of his Atlantic City casinos, Melania didn’t pressure him for things to do.”
Bombshell book claims Melania Trump “hates” her husband
In recent years, Donald and Melania have certainly not been known for being overly affectionate towards one another. Meanwhile, a recent bombshell book by author Michael Wolff claimed that their marriage is not in the best of states.