Book claims Trump axed hardline migrant policy after Melania intervened
The Guardian|October 04, 2024
Melania Trump describes in her new memoir how she made her husband, then president Donald Trump, drop a signature hardline immigration policy under which migrant children were separated from their parents, stoking domestic and international uproar.
Martin Pengelly
Book claims Trump axed hardline migrant policy after Melania intervened

"This has to stop," the former first lady says she told her husband, "emphasizing the trauma it was causing these families". He complied, ending the policy on 20 June 2018.

It is not the only spousal disagreement revealed in the memoir, Melania, which will be published in the US next week. The Guardian has obtained an early copy.

In the book, the former first lady also delivered a passionate defence of abortion rights significantly weakened by a supreme court to which her husband appointed three hardline justices and under further attack as he runs for the White House again a position she reiterated in a video posted to social media yesterday.

Like abortion and reproductive rights, immigration is a hot-button issue in the campaign that will culminate on 5 November when Americans choose Trump or Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, as president.

"Political disagreements between me and my husband were a part of our relationship", Melania Trump writes, "but I believed in addressing them privately... I found our discussions more productive when we could have a quiet dialogue at home".

She writes of her immigration concerns: "Given my past experiences with unfair media narratives, I always approached the news with some scepticism. Before discussing the border crisis with him, I thoroughly educated myself on the situation."

This story is from the October 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
Beaumont may step in at RFU if Ilube quits over pay fiasco
The Guardian

Beaumont may step in at RFU if Ilube quits over pay fiasco

Sir Bill Beaumont could be parachuted into the Rugby Football Union as interim chair in the event Tom Ilube falls on his sword amid the botched handling of the executive pay scandal engulfing the game.

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
'An exciting new era' Everton owners promise return to glory days after £500m deal
The Guardian

'An exciting new era' Everton owners promise return to glory days after £500m deal

The Friedkin Group vowed to restore Everton to their \"rightful place in the Premier League table\" after completing a takeover that brought the turbulent era of Farhad Moshiri to an end.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Friedkin Group brings hope of much-needed stability and ambition
The Guardian

Friedkin Group brings hope of much-needed stability and ambition

The Friedkin Group's takeover of Everton represents a momentous day for those exhausted and resigned to calamity by the tenure of Farhad Moshiri.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
The Guardian

A humble Hamilton hero who was born to score

Ex-coaches in New Zealand on Chris Wood's rise from selfless schoolboy to poster boy at Nottingham Forest

time-read
5 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Solanke puts Spurs through despite Forster's blunders
The Guardian

Solanke puts Spurs through despite Forster's blunders

Like a song that changes time signature for the hell of it, like a friend that inexplicably blanks you, like a match report that noodles away for ages instead of just telling you what happened, Tottenham Hotspur remain medically incapable of doing things the simple way.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
“The World Cup loss fuelled a fire in me to become the best’
The Guardian

“The World Cup loss fuelled a fire in me to become the best’

Ellie Kildunne's infectious enthusiasm for the women's game has her dreaming of a Twickenham final in 2025

time-read
4 mins  |
December 20, 2024
'Usyk is fighting for his country': Dubois tips Fury to lose rematch
The Guardian

'Usyk is fighting for his country': Dubois tips Fury to lose rematch

Daniel Dubois, the IBF world heavyweight champion, believes that Oleksandr Usyk will again defeat Tyson Fury in Riyadh tomorrow night.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
The Guardian

Coe pledges radical reform in bid for IOC presidency

Sebastian Coe has promised to radically transform the International Olympic Committee if he is elected its next president in March - and says his track record of delivering at the London 2012 Games and at World Athletics shows he is the right choice for the leading job in sport.

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
Football's new fetish Forget Nicolas Jover and stylish set-piece coaches, bring on the directors of vibes
The Guardian

Football's new fetish Forget Nicolas Jover and stylish set-piece coaches, bring on the directors of vibes

It's 25 October 2012. Those of you who follow the Austrian regional leagues won't need reminding.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Rush to start work caused enormous cost overruns, says new boss of HS2
The Guardian

Rush to start work caused enormous cost overruns, says new boss of HS2

Enormous budget overruns on the HS2 high-speed railway have been blamed by its new chief executive on a \"rush to start\", as the Department for Transport admitted it did not know what the line would cost.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024