Melania Trump is here to smack down—figuratively this time—a longstanding rumor that has buzzed around like an annoying fly at a barbecue.
The 54-year-old former First Lady, in her spicy new memoir, decided to clear the air about that legendary moment when it appeared she swatted away former President Donald Trump’s hand like it was trying to sneak an extra cookie from the jar. It all went down during their 2017 trip to Israel, but according to Melania, this was no “Keep your hand to yourself!” situation.
“The so-called ‘swat,’ as the gossip gremlins love to call it, was nothing but a big ol’ misunderstanding,” Melania explains in her new book, Melania, via Variety.
Apparently, things were going just fine until, dun dun dun, the red carpet betrayed them all! You see, according to Melania, there was some official protocol mumbo-jumbo that required the President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu to stroll side by side, like political prom dates. Their wives were supposed to follow behind like supportive, yet dignified accessories.
But here’s where things went rogue. Plot twist! Bibi grabbed his wife’s hand, while Melania’s hubby—never one to miss a grand entrance—decided, “Hey, let’s make this a three-person parade!” So there they were, walking three-wide like some awkward political conga line, leaving Melania stuck without enough carpet real estate to join in the fun.
Melania recalls: “The carpet just couldn’t handle four people abreast. It’s not a magic carpet; it’s just fabric!” So, like any sensible person trying to avoid being squished or tripping in heels on a lumpy red surface, Melania pulled back. Trump, being the gentleman he is, reached out his hand to her, but she was like, “Nah, I’m good, thanks though!” Not a dramatic swat, just a “I can walk solo, no worries!”
In her own words: “It was a minor, innocent gesture, nothing more.” Translation: This wasn’t some grand rejection or power play—it was simply a case of “the carpet made me do it.”
And that is how the so-called “Hand Swat of 2017” turned out to be a lot less like a reality TV drama and more like a red carpet malfunction.