Melania Trump says she had a ‘very beautiful childhood’ under communism — But reveals one big difference

Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, provided a glimpse into her childhood during an appearance on Fox & Friends on September 23. She described her upbringing under communist rule in former Yugoslavia as having a "very beautiful childhood," despite acknowledging that life was not as free as it is in the United States.

The First Lady stated, "I grew up under communism, and actually, I didn't miss anything. I feel I had a very beautiful childhood, and my parents provided a beautiful life for my family." She noted that while there were restrictions to be aware of, life in communist Yugoslavia was not as free as it is in the U.S. Melania, born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia in 1970, grew up in socialist Yugoslavia, a country led by a communist government following World War II.

The comments came as she discussed her efforts to reunite Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia during the ongoing conflict. Melania emphasized that her focus is on reuniting as many children as possible, stating, "What they're going through is heartbreaking. There's nothing better to see than a child reunited with a parent."

This comes amid President Trump's frequent use of the term "communism" to criticize Democrats and democratic socialists, with Melania having moved to the U.S. in the 1990s to pursue a modeling career and becoming a U.S. citizen in 2006.