Donald Trump and Melania Trump had their fair share of arguments at the White House. The infamous jacket incident was one, but there were many others. However, now that they are behind them, the former president and first lady aim to secure a second term at the White House.

Melania Trump spent much time shielding their son, Barron, from media scrutiny while living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Meanwhile, she performed her duties as First Lady of the United States, and time will tell if she will return to Washington. 

In 2018, the Trump Administration was left in shock as allegations against Donald Trump and the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels went public. The president said he was innocent, but that didn’t stop Melania Trump from making her mind up. In a new book, it’s been revealed that Melania didn’t want anything to do with her husband at the time – and wanted to humiliate him.

Melania and Donald Trump met for the first time during New York Fashion Show in 1998. Not long after, he began planning his future life as possible President of the United States. But Melania Trump had yet to learn where her life would take her with her then-future husband.

Donald Trump & Melania Trump

In 1998, Donald Trump had just divorced his second wife, Marla Maples, and appeared at an event in New York City with a date. However, when the wealthy real-estate mogul saw Melania, he wanted to be with her instead.

“I went crazy. I was actually supposed to meet somebody else. There was this great supermodel sitting next to Melania,” Donald Trump told Larry King in 2005. “They said, ‘Look, there’s so and so.’ I said, ‘Forget about her. Who is the one on the left? And it was Melania.”

But when they first met, Melania was not interested at all.

Since Trump was there with someone else and asked her for her phone number, she admitted being “turned off” and said he was “totally out of the question,” her best friend Edit Molnar said.

“Melania said, ‘He’s here with a woman. I am absolutely not giving him my number,’” Molnar recalled. “She wouldn’t even consider it. Donald did all the work.”

“He wanted my number,” Melania Trump told Tatler. “But he was on a date, so of course I didn’t give it to him. I said, ‘I am not giving you my number; give me yours and I will call you.’ If I give him my number, I’m just one of the women he calls.”

Eventually, Donald and Melania started a relationship. According to Molnar, Melania quickly changed her style, but their relationship was initially rocky. The two broke up several times before patching things up and moving together in 2001. Melania got her green card around the same time and lived at Trump’s penthouse in the Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Three years later, the couple got married in Florida. In 2006, they welcomed their son, Barron.

“I’m not going to be doing the diapers”

Melania was the one closest to Barron as he grew up. Donald worked a lot and explained to Larry King in 2005 that he was a hands-off parent.

“I’m not going to be doing the diapers,” Trump said. “I’m not going to be making the food, I may never even see the kids.”

Speaking with CNN’s Larry King in 1999, Donald announced he planned to run for president. He also said he would marry Melania Trump to “make up for the absence of a First Lady.”

Melania added that she’d be a traditional First Lady, comparing herself to Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy.

Donald Trump’s plan became a reality when he won the 2016 Presidential Election. His time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would be a rocky road. As with many presidential coupes, when Donald and Melania had left office, stories about what had happened during their 4-year tenure at the White House came to light.

While at the White House, Melania Trump did her ‘duties’ as First Lady of the United States. However, compared to other first ladies before her, she didn’t move into the White House with her husband immediately.

When Donald Trump was elected president, Melania decided that she and Barron would stay in New York City for about six months so he could finish up his school year.

“It’s Melania who wants to stay. She doesn’t want to take Barron out of school,” an unnamed source told the New York Daily News. “She’s concerned that he won’t have the same relationship with new teachers that he has at Columbia Prep.”

Melania Trump protected Barron from media scrutiny

When finished with school in “The Big Apple,” Barron and Melania headed for the White House. Barron became the first boy to live in the White House since JFK Jr.

Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton – the three most recent presidents – have been fathers to only girls. Other presidents since JFK have had sons, though they’ve all been adults and lived outside of the White House.

Barron Trump attended the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, a private school about 30 minutes away from the White House.

Throughout their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Melania Trump wanted to protect her son from scrutiny, especially since being the president’s son can be demanding.

In early 2017, The White House called for the media’s cooperation, asking them to give Barron Trump privacy.

“It is a longstanding tradition that the children of Presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight. The White House fully expects this tradition to continue. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter,” the White House said.