Camilla Jessen
Melania reflects on 24-year age difference with Trump.
Melania Trump has rarely addressed the age difference between herself and her husband.
But comments she made in the past have resurfaced, prompting renewed discussion and surprise among readers.
The remarks shed light on how she viewed her relationship with Donald Trump from the very beginning.
Meeting Donald
Donald Trump and Melania met in 1998 at a party at New York’s Kit Kat Club.
She was 28 at the time, while Trump was 52, creating a 24-year age gap that has followed the couple ever since.
Trump had already been married and divorced twice and was the father of four children. Melania has said the difference in age did not concern her when they first met.
In her memoir, she described feeling an immediate connection. “He was a bit older than me, but I, at the age of twenty-eight, felt an instant connection with him,” she wrote.
Instant connection
Melania also praised Trump’s demeanor during their first meeting. “He projected a sense of authenticity.
He had a zest for life that was infectious,” she wrote, adding that she found him “successful and hardworking, but also so down to earth and real.”
She recalled leaving the encounter feeling elated.
“I returned home giddy with joy,” she wrote. “It’s truly a rare feeling to instantly connect with someone on such a deep level.”
“Our chemistry was undeniable, and our connection felt natural,” she added.
Early obstacles
Some accounts have suggested Melania initially hesitated to pursue a relationship because Trump arrived at the event with another date.
Trump, however, continued to pursue her and eventually obtained her phone number.
The two soon began dating and quickly became a high-profile couple in New York, appearing regularly at major social events.
The couple married on January 22, 2005.
Melania wore a custom Dior wedding gown with a strapless bodice, full skirt and long train, while the ceremony was held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Despite years of public attention, the Trumps have kept much of their private life out of view. They later welcomed a son, Barron Trump, and have remained married since.
Sources: Melania Trump memoir, Newsner
