
Amalija Knavs, Mother Of Melania Trump, Dead At 78
HuffPost
“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity," the former first lady wrote.
Amalija Knavs, the mother of former First Lady Melania Trump, has died, her daughter announced on social media Tuesday. She was 78.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” Trump wrote in a tribute on X. “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.”
No cause of death was given, but former President Donald Trump said on New Year’s Eve his mother-in-law was “very ill” and that Melania Trump was with her at a hospital in Miami.
Knavs was born in 1945. She and her husband, Viktor, became U.S. citizens in 2018 after arriving from Slovenia under a program that allows Americans to help their relatives obtain their green cards. But the revelation sparked criticism of the former president, who regularly attacked “chain migration” and slammed those who “come in” and “bring their whole family with them.” (Melania Trump sponsored her parents to come to the U.S.)