While Donald Trump was preparing to return to office as the 47th President of the United States, his wife, Melania Trump, shared some surprising comments about her previous experience moving into the White House.
Comments she made earlier this year about the Obama family have now resurfaced, and she didn’t hold back.
Prior to her second stint as first lady, Melania sat down for an interview with Fox & Friends, where she opened up about the challenges she faced back in 2016.
“The first time was challenging,” she admitted. “We didn’t have much of the information. The information was withheld from us by the previous administration. But this time, I have everything!”
Melania’s remark appeared to be directed at the Obama family, who handed over the White House to the Trumps in January 2017.
This is not the first time Melania has criticised the outgoing administration for allegedly making things difficult.
In her memoir, she claimed that it was customary for the incoming first family to start the moving process while the outgoing family left for the holidays in December. However, she said her team did not receive the access they had requested to visit the White House residence.
According to her account, the Trumps allegedly received no response for weeks despite reaching out to arrange a convenient time.
Melania added that when they finally received the information, it was filled with errors. She said this delayed the planning process and meant she could only begin renovations once they were already living in the White House.
Her comments stand in contrast to what Michelle Obama has previously shared.
In her memoir Becoming, the former First Lady said she had reached out to Melania to offer her support, just as Laura Bush had once done for her. Michelle later told ABC News that Melania never took her up on the gesture.
At the time, Melania’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, said that the first lady did not need guidance from Michelle.
“Mrs. Trump is a strong and independent woman who has been navigating her role as First Lady in her own way,” she said. “When she needs advice on any issue, she seeks it from her professional team within the White House.”
Despite the tensions surrounding her first stay, Melania confirmed she would be based at the White House during her husband’s second term while also spending time in New York and Palm Beach.
“My first priority is to be a mom, to be a First Lady, to be a wife,” she said. “And once we are in on Jan. 20, you serve the country.”