Melanie Trump returns as First Lady of the United States

With her return to the White House, American Voice correspondent Veronica Balderas Iglesia takes a look at her life and some expectations regarding her.

His parents called him Melanie Knavs. The world recognized him as the First Lady of the United States, Melanie Trump.

She was born April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia. During her childhood in the town of Sevnica, her father sold cars while her mother worked in the textile industry.

Melanie Knavs was still interested in fashion, recalls her former school companion, Mirjana Jelanic.

Her “also liked to create new clothes from older ones”, says Ms. Jelanic.

She stopped her university studies and, by the new name Melanie Knaus, pursued her model career in Europe. In the 1990s, her success brought her to the United States.

“Like a fashion model and someone who was often invited to the luxury parties in New York, as I understand so she met Donald Trump”, says history professor Catherine Jelison, from Ohio University.

Melanie Knaus became Melanie Trump on January 22nd 2005 and gave birth to her first and only son, Barron, a year later. In the same year, she also became American citizens.

Melanie Trump's life took another turn when her husband ran for president of the United States in 2016 with the Republican Party, and she joined him in the election campaign.

It's wonderful to be here with you and my husband today. I'm very proud of him”, she said at the time.

Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States in January 2017.

As the first lady, Melanie Trump made worldwide trips

and undertook projects like the “campaign become the best” that focuses on the welfare of children, internet safety and opium abuse.

She held a lower profile than many of the first ladies, but faced, however, intensive attention from the media, notes Professor Jelison.

“was criticised by several circles for its fashion elections, for its decision not to move immediately to the White House, for its campaign ♫ Be the best, which was not one of the most successful public service projects by a first lady”, says Professor Jelison.

After leaving the White House, Melanie Trump practically left the public eye.

It resurfaced from time to time to support her husband's candidacy for re-election. And to promote her book with memories.

The writing of these memories has been a deeply personal and reflective journey for me”, Mrs. Trump said.

The voteer from the state of Wisconsin, Austin Smith, has voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump since 2016. He has his aspirations for the role Melanie Trump would play after returning to the White House.

I'd like her to probably deal with some pet projects. One thing I'm very passionate about is for example. the food issue at school”, says voter Austin Smith.

Democrat voter Jasleen Kaur would like Melanie Trump to be a first “impacted”.

Explore and talking to urban communities, going all over the country making itself known, not only as a figure standing behind the president, but as a woman with a kind of power”, says voter Kaur.

Analyst Jelison, however, thinks as a first lady in the second term, Melanie Trump will probably continue, for the most part, to avoid attention. / VOA