Melania Trump's mother Amalija Knavs dies at 78 as former US first lady pays tribute
Melania Trump has announced “with deep sadness” the death of her mother, Amalija Knavs.
Ms Trump paid tribute to Ms Knavs after her death aged 78. The former first lady did not reveal a cause of death in a brief statement on social media.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” Ms Trump wrote on X, formerly 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 honour and love her legacy."
Former US president Donald Trump previously said at a New Year's 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 is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija.
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…— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 10, 2024
“It's a tough one, very tough one," he said of the situation.
Paying tribute, he wrote on his social media site Truth Social: “This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!!"
“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!”
During the Trump presidency, Ms Knavs lived in New York along with Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, and occasionally appeared at the White House.
Amalija Knavs was at a 2018 ceremony where the former first lady debuted her "Be Best" public awareness campaign to help children.
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 US 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 modelling.
She settled in New York in 1996 and met Trump two years later. They married in 2005.
