Major Controversies Surrounding Melania Trump: A Detailed Timeline
Public opinion and media debates around Melania Trump—discover key moments of controversy.
Melania Trump, a Slovenian-American former model, is the First Lady of the United States, serving non-consecutive terms from 2017 to 2021 and since 2025, as the wife of President Donald Trump. She is the first naturalized citizen to hold the position, the second foreign-born First Lady after Louisa Adams, the second Catholic First Lady after Jacqueline Kennedy, and only the second First Lady after Frances Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms.
1997: Explicit Photo Shoot
In 1997, Melania was featured in a sexually explicit photo shoot for Max, a French men's magazine.
2005: Access Hollywood tape recorded
In 2005, the Access Hollywood tape was recorded, featuring controversial remarks by Donald Trump. The tape was leaked in October 2016.
July 2006: Alleged Stormy Daniels Affair
In July 2006, the alleged affair between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels reportedly occurred.
2008: Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention
In 2008, Michelle Obama delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention, parts of which were later plagiarized by Melania Trump in 2016.
July 2016: Nude Images Published
In July 2016, nude images of Melania Trump were published on the front page of the New York Post, leading her to retreat from public view for two months.
July 18, 2016: Speech at Republican National Convention
On July 18, 2016, Melania Trump gave a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. A paragraph of the speech was found to be plagiarized from Michelle Obama's 2008 speech.
2016: Lawsuit Against the Daily Mail
In 2016, Melania Trump sued the Daily Mail for libel after it alleged that she had worked for an escort agency, later changing the suit to emotional distress.
2016: Photos Published by New York Post
In 2016, Melania's 1997 sexually explicit photo shoot was published by the New York Post.
2016: Controversies during 2016 election
In 2016, during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Melania Trump faced press coverage for erotic photos and plagiarism accusations regarding a speech at the Republican National Convention.
January 2018: Stormy Daniels Scandal
In January 2018, news broke of an alleged affair between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels, leading to Melania reducing her public appearances.
August 9, 2018: Melania's Parents Granted American Citizenship
On August 9, 2018, Melania Trump's parents were granted American citizenship, which revitalized accusations of hypocrisy against the Trumps due to Donald Trump's stance against chain migration.
October 2018: Melania Trump's Solo Tour of Africa
In October 2018, Melania Trump undertook a solo tour of Africa, visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. She spent time with children in schools, orphanages, and hospitals, promoted relief work, and faced criticism for her fashion choices and comments.
2018: White House Christmas Decorations Controversy
In 2018, Melania Trump planned the White House Christmas decorations, which were widely derided for their unconventional design.
2018: Criticism of 'Zero Tolerance' Policy
In 2018, Melania Trump was openly critical of her husband's "zero tolerance" policy of denying asylum at the Mexico–United States border, where children were being separated from their parents.
October 2019: Justice Department Civil Suit
In October 2019, The Justice Department filed a civil suit against Winston Wolkoff, alleging breach of a nondisclosure agreement.
2019: Be Best Campaign Criticism
In 2019, the "Be Best" campaign drew criticism for perceived hypocrisy, challenging cyberbullying while Donald Trump was known for attacking people online, and after Donald Trump criticized Greta Thunberg, days after Melania had criticized Pamela Karlan for invoking Barron.
October 1, 2020: Release of Audiotapes Featuring Melania
On October 1, 2020, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff released audiotapes featuring Melania Trump making profane statements about her image and role as first lady, along with her tell-all book, "Melania and Me".
2020: Leaked Tapes Defending Some Border Practices
In 2020, Leaked tapes featured Melania making statements defending some of the practices, expressing grief about family separation but questioning the validity of asylum claims and dismissing concerns that children were kept in substandard conditions.
2020: Endorsed False Claims
In 2020, Melania endorsed her husband's false claims of election fraud in the presidential election.
2020: Endorsement of False Election Statement
In 2020, despite Donald Trump's loss of the election, Melania Trump ended her tenure by endorsing his false statement that he had been the legitimate election winner.
February 2021: Civil Suit Dropped
In February 2021, the civil suit against Winston Wolkoff was dropped under the Biden administration.
September 2022: Melania's Interview with Breitbart News
In September 2022, Melania Trump stated in an interview with Breitbart News that the audiotapes had been strategically edited to make people believe that her duties in the White House had been unimportant to her.
