Amalija Knavs, mother of former first lady Melania Trump, dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amalija Knavs, the mother of former first lady Melania Trump, has died.

Trump announced the death late Tuesday without disclosing the cause.

“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” Trump wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.”

Donald Trump said at a New Years Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate that his mother-in-law was “very ill” and his wife was with her at a hospital in Miami.

“It’s a tough one, very tough one,” he said of the situation.

During the Trump presidency, the first lady's mother lived in New York along with her father, Viktor Knavs, and occasionally appeared at the White House. Amalija Knavs was at a 2018 ceremony where the first lady debuted her “Be Best” public awareness campaign to help children.

“This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!!” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. “Melania’s great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words!”

Melania Trump sponsored her parents’ immigration to the United States, and they took the oath of office to become citizens at a New York City courthouse in 2018, while Trump was president. The Slovenian immigrants, a former car dealer and textile factory worker, had been living in the U.S. as permanent residents.

Their lawyer said at the time that they applied for citizenship on their own and didn’t get any special treatment.

The Knavses raised Melania, born Melanija, in the rural industrial town of Sevnica while Slovenia was under Communist rule.

She attended high school in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modeling.

She settled in New York in 1996 and met Trump two years later. They married in 2005.

Former first lady Melania Trump welcomes newly-sworn American citizens as the National Archives holds a naturalization ceremony with 25 people from 25 nations, in Washington, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. A naturalized citizen herself, Melania Trump, wife of former President Donald Trump, was originally from Slovenia. The event is part of the Archives' annual celebration of Bill of Rights Day. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FILE - First lady Melania Trump's parents Viktor Knavs, second from left, and Amalija Knavs walk on the South Lawn of White House, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. Amalija Knavs has died, according to an announcement by Trump late Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - Amalija Knavs, mother of first lady Melania Trump, walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, June 18, 2017. Knavs has died, according to an announcement by Trump late Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Viktor Knavs and Amalija Knavs, parents of first lady Melania Trump, wave after President Donald Trump spoke from the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. Amalija Knavs has died, according to an announcement by Melania Trump late Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - First lady Melania Trump's parents Viktor, right, and Amalija Knavs arrive at the White House in Washington, Aug. 18, 2019. Amalija Knavs has died, according to an announcement by Trump late Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/1/1222240