Career Timeline of Melania Trump: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Melania Trump made an impact.

Melania Trump is a Slovenian-American former model who served as First Lady of the United States during Donald Trump's presidency from 2017 to 2021, and again from 2025 onwards. She holds the distinction of being the first naturalized citizen to assume the role of First Lady. She is also the second foreign-born First Lady and the second Roman Catholic First Lady. Notably, she is also the second First Lady to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1982: First ladies study

In 1982, Siena College Research Institute conducted their first study surveying scholars and historians on their assessments of American first ladies.

1988: Start of polling for candidate's spouse

In 1988, polling began for candidate's spouse.

1992: Runner-up in Jana Magazine Look of the Year contest

In 1992, Melania was named runner-up in the Jana Magazine Look of the Year contest.

1993: Modeling job as first female president

In 1993, Melania had a modeling job in which she portrayed the first female president of the United States.

1995: Meeting Paolo Zampolli

In 1995, Melania met Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, in Paris during a scouting trip. Zampolli later became one of the few consistent figures in her life and a friend of Donald Trump.

1996: Immigration to the United States

In 1996, Melania Knauss immigrated to the United States after being sponsored by Paolo Zampolli, who hired her to work as a model.

1996: Move to Manhattan

In 1996, Melania moved to Manhattan to pursue her modeling career, encouraged by Paolo Zampolli.

1997: Sexually explicit photoshoot for Max magazine

In 1997, Melania was featured in a sexually explicit photoshoot for a French men's magazine, Max.

February 1999: Joins Trump Model Management and Appears in Sports Illustrated

In February 1999, Melania joined Trump Model Management and appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, photographed by Antoine Verglas.

October 7, 1999: Donald Trump announces candidacy for Reform Party presidential nomination

On October 7, 1999, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Reform Party presidential nomination, which Melania supported. She stated she would be 'very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy' if he became president.

1999: Attention after Howard Stern interview

In 1999, Melania and Donald Trump gained attention after an interview with Howard Stern, where they answered lewd sexual questions. Donald often showcased Melania at meetings.

January 2000: Appearance in GQ Magazine

In January 2000, Melania was featured in GQ magazine. The shoot, facilitated by her relationship with Donald Trump, took place on his Boeing 727.

2000: Support for Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign

In 2000, Melania supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

April 2004: First appearance on The Apprentice

In April 2004, Melania made her first appearance on Donald Trump's game show, The Apprentice.

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2009: Launch of Jewelry Brand

In 2009, Melania Trump started her own jewelry brand, Melania.

2016: Disapproval rating greater than approval rating

During the 2016 presidential election, Melania Trump became the only candidate's spouse since 1988 to have a disapproval rating greater than her approval rating.

2016: Limited campaign activity

In 2016, Melania Trump had limited campaign activity.

2016: Campaign appearances and controversies

In 2016, during Donald Trump's presidential election campaign, Melania made rare appearances, assisted with strategy, faced press coverage regarding erotic photos and plagiarism accusations from a speech at the Republican National Convention. She also defended her husband following the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

2016: Publication of 1997 photoshoot by the New York Post

In 2016, photos from a 1997 sexually explicit photo shoot featuring Melania were published by the New York Post, bringing renewed attention to the images.

January 2017: Approval rating before becoming first lady

In the months leading up to January 2017 when she became first lady, Melania Trump's approval rating stood at 36 or 37%.

2017: Melania becomes First Lady

In 2017, Melania Trump became the First Lady of the United States for the first time as the wife of President Donald Trump.

April 2018: Approval rating increase after allegations against husband

In April 2018, Melania Trump's approval rating increased to 57% in a CNN poll after she received public sympathy amid allegations that her husband had committed adultery.

May 7, 2018: Be Best awareness campaign launch

On May 7, 2018, Melania Trump announced her official public initiative as first lady, the Be Best awareness campaign, in the White House Rose Garden. The campaign aimed to support children's welfare, advocate against cyberbullying, and prevent opioid abuse.

October 2018: Solo tour of Africa

In October 2018, Melania Trump embarked on a solo tour of Africa, visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt, focusing on children's welfare and promoting relief work by the United States Agency for International Development. She faced criticism for her fashion choices and later claimed to be "the most bullied person in the world".

2018: Criticism of zero tolerance policy

In 2018, Melania Trump openly criticized her husband's "zero tolerance" policy regarding asylum at the Mexico–United States border, expressing her opposition to family separations and influencing his decision to end the policy.

2018: Challenges as First Lady

In 2018, Melania faced challenges that included allegations of extramarital affairs by her husband, surgery for kidney disease, and scrutiny during a tour of Africa. Despite these challenges, she prioritized children's issues, launching the Be Best campaign.

2019: Criticism of Be Best campaign's hypocrisy

In 2019, the Be Best campaign faced criticism for perceived hypocrisy, especially after President Trump made critical Twitter posts about Greta Thunberg, a teenage environmental activist. This highlighted the contrast between Melania's anti-cyberbullying initiative and her husband's online behavior.

April 2020: Staff reorganization

In April 2020, Melania Trump carried out a major reorganization of her staff, appointing Marcia Lee Kelly as her senior advisor and Emma Doyle as her policy advisor. Lindsay Reynolds was removed as chief of staff.

October 1, 2020: Release of audiotapes by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

On October 1, 2020, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff released audiotapes featuring Melania Trump making profane statements about her image, role as first lady, and frustration with Christmas decorations. The tapes were released alongside Winston Wolkoff's book, Melania and Me.

Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady

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December 2020: Ranked as the worst first lady

In December 2020, the Siena College Research Institute released a study in which Melania Trump was ranked as the worst of 40 assessed American first ladies. Her "Be Best" initiative was also ranked the least-effective.

2020: Endorsement of false election statements

In 2020, despite Donald Trump's loss in the election, Melania Trump endorsed his false statement that he had been the legitimate election winner. She focused on compiling photo albums and remained in the White House residence.

2021: Least popular first lady

In 2021, Melania Trump finished her tenure as the least popular first lady since polling began, with a rating of 42%.

2021: End of First Lady tenure

In 2021, Melania Trump's first tenure as First Lady of the United States came to an end with the conclusion of Donald Trump's presidency.

July 2024: Statement after attempted assassination and RNC appearance

In July 2024, Melania Trump released a statement following the attempted assassination of her husband and appeared at the 2024 Republican National Convention, though she declined an invitation to speak. She also announced her intention to publish a memoir titled "Melania".

Melania

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December 2024: Filming of documentary starts

In December 2024, filming started for the documentary film on Melania Trump, directed by Brett Ratner.

2024: Value of early modeling earnings (adjusted for inflation)

In 2024, the $20,000 earned by Melania from early modeling jobs is equivalent to $40,000.

2024: Melania defends nude modeling work

In September of 2024, Melania posted on X stating she stood 'proudly behind [her] nude modeling work'.

January 2025: Documentary announcement and cryptocurrency launch

In January 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced the licensing of a documentary film on Melania Trump. She also launched her own cryptocurrency, the $Melania coin.

January 20, 2025: Second term as First Lady begins

On January 20, 2025, during the 60th United States presidential inauguration, Melania Trump became the second first lady to hold the position two times non-consecutively. In the first few days of her second term, she traveled with President Trump to parts of North Carolina that were hit by Hurricane Helene and to Southern California to monitor the progress of fire rescue services for the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.

February 2025: White House tours resume

In February 2025, Melania Trump announced that public tours of the White House would resume on the 25th day of the month.

March 3, 2025: First solo appearance as First Lady

On March 3, 2025, Melania Trump made her first solo appearance as first lady for the term by attending a roundtable discussion at Capitol Hill on the "Take It Down Act".