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‘We are fine’: Melania dismisses marriage strain rumors

October 12, 2018
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington in this Aug. 27, 2018 file photo. — AFP
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington in this Aug. 27, 2018 file photo. — AFP

WASHINGTON — Melania Trump dismissed on Friday the widespread talk about her husband President Donald Trump’s alleged affairs with a porn star and others, saying she has “more important things to think about.”

In an interview with ABC News, excerpts of which were broadcast early Friday, the US first lady did not deny her husband’s alleged history of philandering.

But Melania Trump insisted she doesn’t dwell on it.

“It is not a concern and focus of mine,” she said in the interview. “I’m a mother and a first lady, and I have much more important things to think about and to do.”

“I know people like to speculate and media like to speculate about our marriage,” she added.

“It’s not always pleasant, of course, but I know what is right and what is wrong and what is true and not true.”

Asked whether she loved her husband, she answered: “Yes, we are fine. It’s what media speculate, and it’s gossip. It’s not always correct stuff.”

ABC conducted the rare interview of the Slovenia-born 48-year-old former model and the president’s third wife while she was in Africa last week.

After living in the White House for nearly two years in the shadow of one of the most controversial and scandal-tarred presidents of modern times, she appeared confident but also controlled, keeping her answers to difficult questions short.

The interview came just over three weeks before the midterm congressional elections, in which Trump’s record is expected to play a big part in how voters cast their ballots.

Sitting in stretch jodhpurs with a safari pith helmet at her side, Trump gave a wry smile when asked about comments about her marriage from the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani had said in June that the first believes her husband’s denials about an affair a decade ago with stripper and porn movie star Stormy Daniels, and “knows it’s untrue.”

“I never talked to Mr. Giuliani,” the first lady said.

She gave a surprise answer to why she chose to fight against cyber-bullying with her “Be Best” campaign.

“I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world,” she said, or “one of them, if you really see what people are saying about me.”

Trump has predecessor who as American first ladies suffered gossip about their husbands’ alleged affairs.

Hillary Clinton endured husband Bill Clinton being impeached in 1998 for lying about his extramarital sex. — AFP


October 12, 2018
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