opportunity to really get to know the first lady. up next, we have a cnn "special report. "melania trump: the making of a first lady." i'm ana ka brarp ra cabrera and have had your company. i'll be back later for for mour ho more hours here in the "cnn newsroom." have a great evening. the following is a cnn report. her journey to the white house spanned two continents. >> i'm from slovenia and grew up there as a teenager. >> reporter: melania trump, slovenian model turned wife of a bombastic billionaire suddenly in the spotlight herself. >> i will fight to the end, because i don't want to damage my reputation and my name. >> reporter: answering questions about her husband's past. >> he's an adult. he knows the consequences. >> reporter: and making promises about the future. >> i will be different than any other first ladies. i will help women.

i will help children. tonight, a revealing look at first lady melania trump. she's more than the so-called first lady of fashion. she's a devoted mother who speaks six languages. and after watching her husband surge to a stunning victory is now on her way to becoming a global icon. i'm randi kaye, and this is a cnn "special report." "melania trump: the making of a first lady." the future first lady always turned heads. ♪ >> even when she was young growing up in her hone country of slovenia. >> your maiden name, not trump? knauss. >> oh. >> from slovenia.

>> she was born melania knauss. long before she split from communist yugoslavia and grew up under communist rule. >> he father was apparently a member of the communist party a very unusual thing. he sold cars. he built the family a nice home outside of the central city. her mother was a pattern designer in a textile factory. she worked hard, as was common for women in eastern bloc countries. >> my sister enis, an incredible woman and a friend and i were raised by my wonderful parents. my hard-working mother amalija introduced me to fashion and beauty my father installing me a passion for business and travel. their integrity, compassion and

intelligence reflects to this day on me, and for my life of family and america. >> reporter: friends in her hometown remember melania knauss as sophisticated, didn't drink or stay up late nor like being the center of attention. >> one of her classmates recalled how she would get catcalls and boys would make nasty surly remarks at her. her friends would notice that melania would pull up inside of herself and look ahead, as if she didn't hear it. >> reporter: she immersed herself in her studies of design and architecture and she dreamed big. >> she also decided early on that -- that slovenia was too small for her. that she was determined to get out into the larger world. bigger world.

♪ >> she was obviously a very pretty girl, and was told that from the beginning, and, therefore, that kind of made modeling and fashion and style and all the rest of it an obvious outlet. >> reporter: melania knauss put college on hold by the time she was 20 to pursue modeling jobs in milan and paris. she got commercial work, too, playing, of all things, what appears to be the first female president of the united states. in this 1993 ad. ♪ >> seeing her in milan was so impressed he suggested she move to new york city to model for his agency. >> she had great -- and i told her, would you like to try the american market? >> and sheaid -- >> yes. she was very interested and a few months later she came to the

states. >> reporter: at the time she was 24. able to speak six languages, including italian, french and german. but immediately felt like new york was home. >> just the energy of new york. the opportunities. different world. different culture. it really attracted me. >> reporter: how would you describe her style and beauty? >> a very strong sense of style and this has been her life since she was child. fashion and fashion magazines and modeling. she has a sure sense of style and a beautiful body. >> reporter: then in september 1998, at 28, two years after the future first lady arrived in new york city, came a chance meeting that would change her life forever. >> we met at a passion party. it was big fashion party that my

friend organized. a fashion week, and he invited me. that's how we met with donald. >> reporter: donald, as in donald j. trump. she melt her future husband and the man who would become the nation's 45th president at a party at manhattan's famous kit kat club i. was actually supposed to meet somebody else and there was a great supermodel sitting next to melania. and i was supposed to meet this supermodel and, look, there's so and so. i said forget about her. hoop the one on the left? and it was melania. >> reporter: paolo hosted the party and introduced them. >> please meet my friend donald. donald, please meet melania. >> reporter: she told "people" magazine she thought the billionaire businessman had "sparkle." >> how did threact when they fit saw each other? >> i saw a capst tchemistry. i call it magic. >> he asked me for the number

and i said i will not give you my number. so if you give me your numbers, i will -- i will call you, and he was known as kind of a lady's man. >> reporter: melania knauss wait add week to tall donald trump later telling "gq" magazine i was not starstruck and maybe he noticed that. >> we went on a date and had a great time. we went to a place in new york, downtown. >> reporter: at the time they met, donald trump was 52. melania knauss just 28. even with more than two decades between them, the romance grew until 2000. that year district attor donald running for president and the couple broke up briefly. >> i don't want to change him. i don't want to say come home and, you know, be with me. i don't want to change him. i want to give him space, and thy that's very important in the

relationship. >> melania. >> reporter: coming up, how the couple got back together and the slovenia model become as mom. >> barron and i will give him a lot of kisses, a lot of hugs a lot of love, and i think that's the most important for me and for peoples. voluminous original. in classic black. and now in blue. builds five times the volume. ♪ voluminous. from l'oréal paris so chevy is the most awarded car company three years in a row. wow. really... let's see how quickly you can read through all their awards. oh gosh... lot of pressure. you ready? go! 2017 motor trend car of the year. kelley blue book 2016 best resale value... 2016 j.d. power highest quality breaking... ack. 10 best blah blah blah 2017 iihs...top safety. only about 90 more to go! 2015 2017 north american car of the year!

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>> reporter: dpee spite her successful modeling career melania knauss never craved the spotlight outside of that. >> melania could have been happy retiring from the fashion world and raising a family and keeping a home and never appearing in the press. >> reporter: after a brief breakup she and donald trump got back together, and from that point on, there was no escaping the public eye. >> melania! >> trump -- >> how much would you say their relationship raised her profile? >> oh, i think -- very few people would have known much at all about then melania knauss but for donald trump. she was not a person who would be on page 6 of the "new york post" prior to this relationship. she would never have been on howard stern. this is just not her world. >> reporter: suddenly she was christening a cruise ship, appearing in "zoolander "and

posing in the 2000 "sports illustrated" civiliansuit edition. >> it's very important for the model to be in. >> reporter: also appearances on trump's hit reality show "the apprentice." >> nick, melania loves your show. loves the show. >> so cute. >> thank you. >> well, robin -- >> reporter: and, yes, on howard certa stern's radio show. >> do you love donald trump? >> yes. we have a great time. >> are you going to marry him? >> i'm not answering that verdi. >> reporter: she did answer it. he proposed way 15 carrot cara million wedding ring. a great surprise. we're very happy together. the couple wed january 22nd,

2005. >> i think of their wedding as almost a -- a broadway production. >> reporter: hundreds attended the star-studded reception at trump's mar-a-lago country club in palm beach, florida. kristol champaign served along with a 57-pound grand marnier wedding cake. >> a moment donald wanted to sell the broadcast rights to this wedding and melania put her foot down at that. >> reporter: the new mrs. trump wore a custom made gown from christian dior adorned with crystals. estimated cost, $100,000 to $200,000. "vogue" magazine featured her on the cover. after the wedding the trumps settled in at their three-story penthouse overlooking fifth avenue and granted larry king their first postwedding

interview on cnn. >> kind of joeshgi ijoiningingl >> you used the name trump? >> i use the name trump. >> you're proud of it? >> i'm proud of it, yes i am. >> reporter: and that name brought opportunity. personally choosing melania trump to star in this ad saying she's the bride of the year. >> aflac! >> reporter: then came the inevitable questions about motherhood. >> do you want to parent? do you want to be a mother? >> yes we want to have a family. we want to have a baby together. >> she'll be an amazing mother. i have no doubt about that. she'll be an amazing mother. >> reporter: on march 20, 2006, the couple welcomed their son. barron william trump. his birth made headlines around the world. he was featured on "extra." >> hello, "extra." >> reporter: which got a tour of his nursery and a glimpse of the gold baby carriage and a photo spread in "people" magazine revealing the newest trump aihe

had his own floor in the couple's penthouse. melania trump makes it clear she will be heavily involved in raising her son. >> i'm raising him and i just want to raise him the right way. i don't want nanny raising him. >> she deserves enormous credit for sheltering her son from the maelstrom that is the trump world.sheltered him hand allowe him to just be a kid. that's a great thing. >> reporter: just months after barron was born melania trump got her citizenship. >> i obeyed the law, did it the right way. didn't just sneak in and stay here. >> reporter: as barron grew motherhood remained her top priorities. >> say hi, larry. >> hi lar. i like my suitcase. i have to go to school. >> first you have have lunch and then you go school. >> is he a little donald?

>> he is. he's bossing everybody around the house. >> has he fired anybody yet? >> he did, actually, yes. he did. he's firing the housekeeper, nanny many times. >> reporter: melania trump taught barron her native slovenian language and until the campaign always picked barron up from school. >> it's unconditional love, and i enjoy every day. i love being a mom. very special time, because sooner or later he will have the wings to fly and i will be always there for him, but he will be very independent and ready to go. >> mommy can i bring this to school? >> no. >> she was a very hands-on mother. this is the wife of a famous billionaire and not every mother at the school was as involved as she was. >> reporter: mrs. trump found time for personal projects, too. launching a skin care line made with caviar, and her own jewelry line on qvc.

and despite their hectic schedules, those who know them say she remains a devoted wife are and mother in a loving relationship. >> we are very strong. we are two independent people thinking on their own, and have a very open conversation, and i think that's very healthy for the relationship. >> i see in donald this surprising almost tender quality towards melania. when we were meeting, he said to her, well, tell him what a great husband i am, babe. >> reporter: he used the word babe? >> yeah, he used the word babe and she looked at him kind of laughed and resisted. i think she was torementing him a little bit for fun and i think this is something that president trump needs in his life. i think he needs someone who can be playful, challenge him a little bit, who might not be frightened of him, and i don't think melania is a bit afraid of

him. >> reporter: coming up, donald trump announces he's running for president. and melania trump faces new challenges and controversy. >> i will fight to the end, because i don't want to damage my reputation and my name. just like the people who own them, every business is different. but every one of those businesses will need legal help as they age and grow. whether it be with customer contracts, agreements to lease a space or protecting your work. legalzoom's network of attorneys can help you, every step of the way. so you can focus on what you do and we'll handle the legal stuff that comes up along the way. legalzoom. legal help is here. announcer: get on your feet for the nastiest bull in the state of texas.

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>> reporter: the new york billionaire and his model wife and the trump tower escalator ride that is now part of history. >> ladies and gentlemen, i am officially running for president of the united states, and we are going to make our country great again. >> reporter: june, 2015. republican donald trump enters the presidential race. a decision his wife melania trump says they made as a family. >> i gave him my support and i said to him you know, you cannot just talk. you need to go and run. >> reporter: do you think she wanted him to run for president? >> she said, look, you have to do what you think is right for country but definitely expressed her trepidation with the decision when he first came to her with the idea. >> stay in it! >> reporter: her husband's idea landed melania trump smack in the middle of one of the ugliest

presidential campaigns in history. >> would you describe her? consider her a reluctant campaigner? >> oh, i think she was a relucten campaigner. i don't think she relishes public speaking. i don't think that she wants to be caught in the controversies. >> reporter: like the backlash from her primetime address at the republican national convention. >> i'm so proud of your choice for president of the united states. my husband, donald j. trump! >> there was a bit of her speech that very clearly was borrowed from a speech that michelle obama gave at the democratic national convention years earlier. >> you work hard for what you want in life. >> you work hard for what you want in life. >> that your word is your bond. >> that your word is your bond. >> pass them on to the next generation. >> pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. >> that's a big deal to plagiarize on a world stage at a

national convention where her husband's receiving the nomination. to have such a big moment for her and for the campaign botched in such a major way was really just devastating. >> reporter: within days an in-house writer for the trump organization took the blame saying passages melania trump told her she liked from michelle obama's speech made its way into the final draft. the writer called it a mistake. >> she made a mistake and people make mistakes. you've made mistakes. we all make mistakes. >> reporter: did the campaign fail melania trump to some extent? >> she should have been given a lot of help, a lot of really good attention before that speech was finished, and delivered, and it was obvious that no one vetted it in the way it should have been reviewed. >> reporter: about the same time, questions surfaced about mrs. trump's path to

citizenship. amp the after the "new york post" published nude photos, appeared to have happened in 1995, though she always said she came to the u.s. as an immigrant. >> came to the united states to new york in 1996. >> the issue was whether or not the visa she had when she first came over to work allowed her to work or simply to visit. >> i followed the law. i followed the law the way it was supposed to be. i never thought here to stay here without papers. i had visa. >> miss trump came with a visa and i recall i signed a visa and that was sometime in 1996. >> you helped arrange, secure, the h1b visa? >> yes. as a model agent i arranged the visa. >> just to be clear, though did she ever work in the u.s. illegally? >> not in my recollection. >> reporter: mrs. trump took to twitter writing, i have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of

this country, period. any allegation to the contrary is simply untrue. >> was that a great introduction? >> reporter: then candidate donald trump promised to provide proof at a press conference at a later date. >> oh, and by the way. they said my wife melania might have come in illegally. can you believe that one? no, no, no. they said, headlines, maybe she came in illegally. maybe. let me tell you one thing. she has got it so documented. >> are you still waiting for that press conference? >> i think everyone is still waiting. i think no one will be surprised that that press conference will never come. >> we love you, new hampshire. we, together, we will make america great again. >> i think there is an issue with her immigration history, and there is a doubt. it may never be resolved. >> reporter: newer questions about melania trump's college degree and whether or not she earned one. >> once people started calling attention to it her website was

scrubbed and the reference to her being a college graduate removed. >> they all said i won. did i win? >> reporter: also this, an anti-trump superpac ad aimed at mormon voters put out before the utah caucuses. the group used an old nude photo of her with the caption, meet melania trump. your next first lady. or you could support ted cruz on tuesday. senator cruz denied having anything to do with it, but donald trump hit back tweeting, lyin' ted cruz use add picture from a "gq" shoot in his ad. be careful, ted cruz, or i will spill the beans on your wife. the issue injected melania trump's modeling career into the campaign. something she didn't shy away from. >> i think people will always judge. i was very successful model and i did some photo shoots, yes, they were a little risky but nothing more than you see every

year in "sports illustrated." >> beautiful. >> reporter: photographer antoine vergloss took that picture and others for the january 2000 issue of british "gq" magazine. >> just an idea to have a beautiful girl by pool and i photo what you know, the fact we could use a jet and have her at pool was just too perfect. we were trying to profile a beautiful woman, sexy woman. >> i'm very proud i did those pictures. i'm not ashamed of my body. >> melania keeps being reminded of why she didn't want to do this. i don't envy the position she's been in and she didn't ask for it. >> reporter: coming up -- >> whoa. whoa. >> reporter: the tape. >> when you're a star they let you do it. you can do anything. grab them by the pussy. [ laughter ] you can do anything. >> reporter: and the question -- how would melania trump respond?

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>> if you elect him to be your president, he will fight for you and for our country. >> reporter: on the campaign trail, melania trump was more often seen than heard. but when she spoke, she never wavered in her public support. >> he has a great heart.

he's tough. he's smart. >> reporter: eastern early on when then candidate donald trump referred to mexican immigrants as rapists and drug deceit eale had his back. >> he's not racist, not against immigrant. he wraunts to keep america safe. >> reporter: and temporarily ban muslims from entering the u.s. >> we need to screen them coming into the country. he wants to protect america. >> reporter: would you say as far as the campaign she helped or hur the campaign? >> i think ultimately she helped her husband win the presidency. she made a few key appearances in places where people were very receptive to her, and i think she added a touch of glamour, and, also, affirmed him in way that only she could.

>> reporter: including when he needed it most. >> you know, i'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- i just start kissing them. like a magnet. >> reporter: on october 7, 2016, just weeks before election day, the trump campaign incrisis mode. a recording of the candidate on "access hollywood" 11 years ago had just been released. on it, donald trump is heard bragging about not only kissing women but grabbing women's gent genitals. >> when you're a star thet he do you it. grab them by the-- >> a bombshell fulls moments, and internet falling off its axis. a moment the world stopped and everyone said, it's over. the campaign is over. >> reporter: the world waited, and wondered just how melania trump would respond.

she issued a short statement the next day calling her husband's words unacceptable and offensive, but also said he has the heart and mind of a leader. ten days after the tapes came out, she broke her silence on national television. >> i was surprised because that is not the man that i know, and he was lead on like, egg on, from the host to say -- dirty and bad stuff. he apologized. i accept his apology. i hope the american people will accept as well. that's not the sexual assault. he didn't say he did it. >> she did what she had to do. she defended him. it was a critical moment in the campaign. >> she steadied herself and then she went forward and spoke for him. i think that made a huge difference. especially with white women

voting for donald trump. i think they thought to themselves, well, this woman is no pushover. >> reporter: and at a debate just days after that tape was released, mrs. trump raised eyebrows by wearing a hot pink gucci blouse with a so-called pussy that set off a frenzy given her husband's choice of words on the "access hollywood" tape. >> do you they was a deliberate move on her part? >> if that was her way of speaking out it was a very smart way of doing if. kind of a move that was -- true to herself. it was very fashion. it was a little cunning. >> what did you make of that blouse at that moment? >> commentators and talking heads throwing their hands in the air saying oh, my god. melania is secretly subversive and actually making a comment on her husband and she's not onboard and mad at him. i'm not entirely sure that was true. i think she probably thought it was it a pretty blouse. probably thought it was appropriate. it was high necked, covered,

feminine. and my guess that's about as far as it went. >> reporter: that same month the campaign was also pushing back against allegations by dozens of women that donald trump had kissed them or groped them without consent. some of their stories date back 30 years. mr. trump denied all of it. >> i believe my husband. i believe my husband. this was all organized from the opposition. >> look at her. look at her words. you tell me -- >> reporter: and when her husband turned the tables on the accusers mocking some of them publicly, his wife stood by him. >> he treats everyone equally. so if you're a woman and he attacks, they attack him, they will attack back. no matter who you are. we are all human and he treats them equal as men. >> reporter: one accuser was a "people" magazine writer who profiled the couple in 2005. she claimed that donald trump forcibly kissed her at their palm beach home while a very

pregnant melania trump was in another room. the "people" magazine writer said she ran into fifth avenue months after the incident and melania trump asked her why she hasn't seen her around recently that is the portion melania close to take issue with. >> reporter: mrs. trump's lawyer sent a letter to "people" magazine demanding a retraction saying that meeting on fifth avenue never happened. >> i was never friend with her. i would not recognize her. i would not recognize her on the street or ask her why we don't see her anymore. so that was another thing, like, you know, people come out -- saying lies, and not true stuff. >> reporter: she briefly retreated from the campaign trail. but then melania trump came out strong in the final days to make her closing argument on behalf of her husband. >> he knows how to make real

change. make america great again is not just some slogan. it is what has been in his heart since the day i met him. >> it was a moment where everyone stepped back and said, why hasn't she been doing this more often? she is magnetic. she is magnanimous and she is really a force here and such a good image for the trump campaign to project. >> god bless this beautiful country! >> reporter: and on election night when donald j. trump wins the white house, melania trump makes history, too. as our next first lady. >> all of a sudden she's gone from being the wife of a celebrity tv show host to the wife of the president of the united states. >> reporter: coming up, as her husband prepares to move to the white house, all eyes, as usual, are on melania trump.

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melania, who are you wearing? >> dolce gabon na. >> you look beautiful. >> thank you. >> reporter: a question asked ober and over and always a different answer. from gucci to michael kors it's no wonder style watchers are already calling melania trump the first lady of fashion. >> melania trump tends to wear already very well-established designers. >> big brands. >> big brands. definitely. brands i think are labels of achievement and aspiration. the kind of things you wear when you want to show you've arrived. >> reporter: on her wedding day

back in 2005, melania trump wore this christian dior gown. >> that was full-on marie antoinette. 1500 crystals. found when she went to paris. >> reporter: she mainly favors european brands but mixes in american labels, like derek lamb and ralph lauren, too. and she often shops online. melania trump seems to charting her own path in terms of style. how unique is that? >> it's pretty unique and conflicted relationship with the american fashion industry which started after the election when a number of designers stood up and said i'm not going to dress mrs. trump. i'm not going to work with her on her clothing. you know. one of the funniest moments for me was that derek lamb was one of those designers who said he wouldn't actively work with the new administration and, you know, she wore a derek lamb sweater to watch the super bowl in palm beach, because she could buy it.

>> reporter: her first magazine cover as first lady, "vanity fair mexico" a photo feech feat year before. not spaghetti, but a string of diamonds. the magazine refers to her at the new jackie kennedy. a comparison made before. >> i see around, they compare me to jackie kennedy. it's an honor, but, of cose, we're in 21st century and i would be different, andhe had the great style and she did a lot of good stuff, but this is different time now. >> reporter: during a photo shoot for "harper's bizarre" calls mrs. kennedy's style, elegant, simple and feminine and may have been trying to emulate that with this ralph lauren powder blue skirt suit on inauguration day. >> it certainly looked a lot like the outfit mrs. kennedy had worn on inauguration day.

her hair bouffant like mrs. kennedy. gloves, matching pumps. >> a knockout. i couldn't walk down pennsylvania avenue in those slet stilettos, however. >> she is developing what you might call a a sig knature styl. simple, classic lines but what she wears does not distract from her. so one always is focused on her face and her hair. >> how do you put up with it? >> she likes bright colors. she likes very simple clothing. you know. often sheath dresses. generally now sort of round necked, and -- fairly covered, and it's actually not very trumpian, or what we think of as being very trumpian. you know. it doesn't match the kind versailles look ofhe apartment, for example. >> reporter: wore a simple michael kors with a coat draped over her. >> the quintessential melania.

coat, jacket slung over not actually arms through. a very new york look. it's very cool. it's very collected. >> reporter: on election night she wore this $4,000 ralph lauren one-sleeved pantsuit. on new year's eve it was a dolce and gabbana dress and at one inaugural ball, this dress she helped design. can the american woman relate to her? >> i don't think the promise of the trump administration is about being every woman. they really hold themselves up as aspiration, as something that everybody should want. and, you know, melania is that trophy. >> an amazing mother, and incredible woman, melania trump. >> reporter: for her speech at the republican national convention, she stepped out in this pricey cotton silk dress. a few nights later, this white fendie dress with hand embroidered mink and crystal

detail she's reportedly bought online at netaporte. for mrs. trump a few fashion missteps. >> we're seeing her undergoing a crash course in first lady 110. the derek lamb sweater photographed was slightly sheer. that's a little racy for a first lady, and probably wasn't intentional. >> reporter: and that dress the first lady wore on red heart day -- >> they hadn't thought through what it might say she was waying a french brand in her first public appearance since her husband stood on the steps of the capitol and said, my first rule is buy american. >> reporter: despite it all, her style is strength and independence. >> melania trump sow to my imagination is emerging as the mona lisa of the first ladies. by her appearance and her posture she seems to signal a

strong impression. it's a centered quality. it's a independent quality. >> reporter: and an independent quality that adds to the mystery of melania trump. >> i >> i see the same expression on her face at every moment. i know she's hiding to us. to some degree, i feel empathy for her. it would be hard to be the one who is the subject of so much attention and who knows that everyone is trying the figure out what's going on inside of you. when all you really want is to be a private person. coming up, first lady melania trump takes manhattan. knowing where you stand. it's never been easier. except when it comes to your retirement plan. but at fidelity, we're making retirement planning clearer.

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i, donald john trump, do solemnly swear. >> january 20th, 2017. donald j. trump is inaugurated as president of the united states. at his side, his wife and for r er slovenian model, melania trump. >> she's the second foreign born first lady. is that a big deal? >> it's only occurred twice in over 200 years. the first time it happened was with a woman who was born in england. so she spoke english and had an american father.

that's very different with melania trump. >> most first ladies who come into office have been a senator's wife or a governor's wife or some kind of political spouse before. she was the wife of a flashy new york billionaire. >> still, the new first lady dazzled crowds. >> i'm honored to be your first lady. >> soon after attending church at the national cathedral, she swiftly returned to new york city with her son. she and baron trump would not be moving into the white house, at least not right away. for 12 days after the inauguration, the first lady is nowhere to be seen. then she reemerges, greeting her husband in palm beach, florida, as he disembarked from air force one. that weekend, they attended the red cross ball. but when the prime minister of japan and his wife visited the

white house, melania trump was absence. >> she wasn't really engaged with mrs. abe, and so she went around washington on her own. this is a really significant breach of protocol. >> when asked about this, the white house explained that melania trump wanted to greet mrs. abe, but mrs. abe had already made commitments. melania trump later flew with the president and the abes to florida, spent the weekend at mar-a-lago, and did sightseeing together. a few days later, mrs. trump returned to the white house for the first time in nearly two weeks to greet the israeli prime minister and his wife. >> how important is it that the first lady be by the president's side? >> the first lady can be tremendously important and play an important role for the rest of us, by reaching her husband, whom she knows better than

anybody, and telling him what is really going on in the land. her security bubble is somewhat, somewhat less than his. and she can be a real truth teller. >> a sign mrs. trump will spend evenally, the hiring of staff for the east wing. sial secretary and a chief of staff. >> i think that melania is going to be outstanding. she just opened up the visitors center, touring of the white house. >> as first lady, she has promised to focus on cyber bullying and children and what else remains to be seen. >> it is never okay when a 12-year-old girl or boy is mocked, bullied or attacked. it is terrible when that happens on the playground. and it is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet. >> there is a little bit of

irony there, considering her husband has been known to be quite a cyber bullier himself. but it is an issue that resonates with many moms and parents and children across the country. >> at a recent thank you rally in melbourne, florida, mrs. trump appeared to be playing a bigger role flt . reciting the lord's prayer. >> let us pray. our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. >> and introducing her husband after her own remarks. >> i will always stay true to myself and be truthful to you, no matter what the opposition is saying about me. >> how do you see her as first lady? >> i really don't expect melania trump to become a prominent figure in the way that rosalynn carter or nancy reagan or the

bush women or michelle obama were. it's just not in her, i think, to be that engaged with the american public. >> it is a great responsibility and probably a very terrifying one, as well. so i think maybe let's give her time to settle in and adjust. >> it is a daily grind. with a total loss of privacy. but with enormous benefits. the first thing you see in the morning is the washington monument. your mode of transport is air force one. every time you walk in the room, they play, "hail to the chief." the rewards are enormous, but you have to make sacrifices for that role, too. you have to do your part. you have to prove yourself worthy of this great traditional, historic role. >> the first lady of the united states. >> when melania trump moves into the white house this year, she will be 47 years old.

and the 47th first lady. remember when comedy meant males doing jokes about females, like mothers-in-law? well, the tables have turned. >> the idea that chicks are funny, it is very much a thing. >> some people can't get their heads around what they don't know. >> i said i wanted to be a comedian. she said, maybe it is better if you just die. >> they thought of women as a different species. >> few ladies are capable of being a comedian. here is somebody who thinks she can do it. >> this is a great argument that women are doing better work