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Melania Trump interview: First lady says 'we are fine' when asked if she loves her husband in wake of infidelity allegations

'Yes. We are fine. Yes,' the first lady says abut her marriage to Donald Trump - who has denied accusations of affairs

Chris Riotta
New York
Friday 12 October 2018 16:42 BST
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Melania Trump says 'we are fine' when asked if she loves her husband

Melania Trump has said she does not spend time thinking of her husband's alleged affairs since she has "much more important things to think about and to do" as first lady.

"It is not concern and focus of mine," she responded when asked if allegations of sexual affairs by Donald Trump put a strain on their relationship.

When asked if she loved her husband, the first lady responded, "Yes. We are fine. Yes."

The issue of President Trump’s fidelity came to the fore with allegations by adult film actor Stormy Daniels that they had sex in 2006. Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen paid Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election to remain silent about the alleged tryst. Mr Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Mr Cohen but denied the affair.

Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate, has alleged having an affair with Mr Trump around the same time, which the president has denied.

The first lady's statements as part of an upcoming ABC News interview set to air on Friday night, along with a network special titled Being Melania: The First Lady. The wide-ranging interview is one of the most extensive and candid discussions with the first lady since the Trumps assumed the White House in 2016.

Brushing aside the allegations of affairs against her husband, Ms Trump also discussed the need for sexual assault survivors to provide "really hard evidence" when coming forward with accusations.

“I support the women,” she said. “They need to be heard. We need to support them. And also men, not just women.”

The first lady then added: “We need to have really hard evidence that if you’re accused of something, show the evidence.”

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Ms Trump appeared adamant in her stance on sexual assault survivors putting forth tangible evidence in the wake of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation battle, in which the justice was accused of sexual assault by two women.

“You cannot just say to somebody you know ‘I was sexually assaulted’ or ‘You did that to me,’ because sometimes the media goes too far,” she continued. “And the way they portray some stories, it’s not correct. It’s not right.“

The first lady also discussed her "Be Best" initiative, which focuses on cyberbullying and social wellbeing for the youth. Ms Trump said she was inspired to use her platform for an anti-bullying campaign since she considers herself "the most bullied person in the world."

"I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world," she said, adding that she if at least "one of them" when "you really see what people saying about me."

The ABC News special focusing on the first lady is set to air on Friday at 10:00pm ET.

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