Donald Trump’s marriage to Melania has proven to be his longest and most enduring yet. The couple first crossed paths in 1988 at a Fashion Week party, though it wasn’t until five years later that Donald, already a celebrity and businessman, asked Melania to marry him. According to Nicki Swift, Trump was immediately intrigued by the young Slovenian model, but Melania wasn’t so easily swayed. Rather than giving him her phone number, she made a bold decision—she refused.
“If I give him my number, I’m just one of the women he calls,” she told GQ in a 2016 interview. Instead, Melania asked for Donald’s number and waited a full week before reaching out. In her memoir, released on October 8, the former First Lady reflected on their first meeting, recalling that she was drawn to “his magnetic energy” but initially dismissed the encounter. “He was accompanied by a beautiful date, so I initially dismissed our conversation as mere pleasantries exchanged at an industry event,” she wrote, according to Variety.
When Donald’s date stepped away, he seized the moment to ask for Melania’s number, but she declined. “He was a little surprised,” she recalled. Undeterred, she requested Donald’s contact information instead. Intrigued by her confident response, Donald agreed and had his bodyguard hand her a business card with his number. “I’ll give you my number,” he reportedly said, “if you promise to call me.”
Donald’s reputation for quick-moving relationships, marked by high-profile marriages and scandals, didn’t deter Melania. His first marriage to Ivana Trump was marred by infidelity, and his second marriage to Marla Maples ended after just five years. Yet, Melania was different. She was not impressed by Trump’s fame or wealth, and it was her indifference, she believed, that made her stand out to him.
“We had a great connection, we had great chemistry, but I was not starstruck… Maybe he noticed that,” she said. While Donald’s public life was filled with media attention, wealth, and business ventures, Melania kept a low profile. Some sources described her as the ideal, low-maintenance partner, a quality Donald appreciated.
In his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, Trump outlined his ideal woman as someone who didn’t require too much attention or energy. According to biographer Mary Jordan, Melania understood this well. In her 2020 book The Art of Her Deal, Jordan wrote, “She also didn’t make herself too available to the man who had said that nothing was more attractive to him than something he couldn’t have.”
Their marriage has weathered significant challenges, including Donald’s alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels and the infamous 2005 recording in which he bragged about inappropriate behavior toward women. Yet, despite the controversies, their relationship has remained intact. The couple, who married in 2005, will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in January 2025.
Donald and Melania Trump’s marriage has defied expectations, proving that, despite the ups and downs, their bond has endured longer than any of Trump’s previous relationships.