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First Lady Jill Biden reached out to former First Lady Melania Trump following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. In an interview with Paris Match, published on Oct. 30, Melania revealed that Dr. Biden contacted her directly.
When asked if she's had any contact with President Joe Biden's wife, Melania answered (translated to English): "After receiving the horrific news of the tragedy in Pennsylvania, Jill Biden took the initiative to contact me directly." But, she noted, "I do not know, however, if her concern was genuine, since, just days before, she had called my husband 'evil' and a 'liar.'" Melania also admitted that the comfort she's received from her "family and friends is precious," and she's "relieved" her husband is safe.
After the assassination attempt on July 13, President Biden posted on X: "I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."
The day after the shooting, Melania released a statement, calling on the country to "reunite." "We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one," she said. "When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband. To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me."
"A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion - his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times," the former first lady continued. "Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings. We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities."
Melania declared that "love, compassion, kindness and empathy" are necessities. "And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm," she stated. "Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now. This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends."
Melania added, "We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again. I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans. The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide – thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family."