All About Melania Trump's Parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs (2024)

Melania Trump's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, worked in fashion and car sales in Slovenia.

The former first lady’s dad and mom hail from a small town about an hour from the country’s capital. Viktor was a chauffeur and car salesman and Amalija was a patternmaker in what was then-Communist Yugoslavia.

Following Melania’s marriage to former President Donald Trump and the birth of their son, Barron Trump, Viktor and Amalija eventually permanently relocated to the U.S.

They lived with Melania and Barron in New York, Washington D.C. and Florida, and became U.S. citizens themselves in 2018 — despite their son-in-law Trump’s staunch position on immigration reform during his presidency.

Melania, however, has spoken highly of her parents and her upbringing on several occasions —including the 2016 Republican National Convention.

"I was born in Slovenia, a small, beautiful and then-Communist country in Central Europe. My sister Ines, who is an incredible woman and a friend, and I were raised by my wonderful parents," the former model said.

She added, "My elegant and hard-working mother Amalija introduced me to fashion and beauty. My father Viktor instilled in me a passion for business and travel."

Melania’s mother, Amalija, died in January 2024 at the age of 78 after an undisclosed illness. The family mourned the loss of their matriarch, with Melania calling her a “ray of light in the darkest days” in her eulogy, per the Associated Press.

From their life in Slovenia to their days in the White House, here is everything to know about Melania Trump’s parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs.

They met in Slovenia in the 1960s

Viktor and Amalija met in Slovenia (when it was still a part of then-Yugoslavia) in 1966, according to GQ. The couple eventually moved into an apartment in the small, hilly town of Sevnica, Slovenia.

At the time, Viktor was a member of the Sevnica Communist Party and worked as a chauffeur — first for the mayor of a neighboring town and then for the head of the government-owned textile factory, Jutranjka, The New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, Amalija worked at that same textile factory as a patternmaker from 1964 until her retirement in 1997, per The New Yorker.

They have two daughters together

Viktor and Amalija welcomed two children during their relationship: Ines, who was born in 1968, followed by Melania —born Melanija — in 1970. Viktor also has a son, Denis Cigelnjak, from a previous relationship —though he has never acknowledged him, according to GQ.

Ines and Melania were raised in Sevnica and Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, but traveled to France, Italy and Germany for vacations. The family eventually moved from their apartment in Sevnica to a home in one of the town’s best neighborhoods, per GQ.

Around the same time, Viktor arranged for Melania and her sister to live with him in Ljubljana, where they attended design school.

“I love my childhood,” Melania told the outlet about her upbringing in Slovenia. “It was a beautiful childhood.”

Amalija worked in the fashion industry

Amalija first worked on her parents’ red onion farm before taking a job at the state textile factory, Jutranjka, The New York Times reported. She eventually earned a position as a patternmaker at the children’s clothing factory, which she held for over three decades from 1964 to 1997.

In addition to her factory work, Amalija (whose mother was also a seamstress) would sew clothes for herself and her kids. It was Amalija’s career that first exposed Melania to the world of fashion and modeling.

According to a 2019 book by Betty Boyd Caroli, Amalija was the one who “laid the foundation” for Melania’s future in the fashion world.

“[Amalija’s] neighbors observed that she paid considerable attention to her own appearance, chose her outfits carefully, and wore high heels when others sought the comfort of flats,” Caroli wrote in First Ladies.

She continued, “When [her textile company] enlisted young girls as informal models for their latest children’s fashions, Amalija arranged for Melanija to walk the runway.”

Melania has also credited her mother for instilling in her a love of fashion.

Viktor was a traveling car salesman

After working as a chauffeur, Viktor became a traveling car salesman for the state-owned car company, GQ reported. He also opened his own bicycle and car parts shop in Ljubljana, according to The New York Times.

Melania compared her father’s business sense to Trump’s, calling them both “hardworking” to GQ.

“They’re both very smart and very capable,” she told the outlet in 2016. “They grew up in totally different environments, but they have the same values, they have the same tradition.”

Trump himself has also spoken highly of his father-in-law’s career.

“He was pretty successful over there,” he told The New York Times, referencing Viktor’s career in Slovenia. “It’s a different kind of success than you have here. But he was successful.”

They were close in age to their son-in-law Donald Trump

Trump is closer in age to Melania’s parents than he is to Melania herself: Viktor, Amalija and Trump are all born within two years of one another, while Trump is 24 years older than Melania.

Viktor was born on March 24, 1944, in Radeče, Slovenia, and Amalija was born on July 9, 1945, in Austria. Trump was born on June 14, 1946 — less than one year after his future-mother-in-law.

They spent time living in the White House

During Trump’s presidency, Viktor and Amalija lived in the White House part-time, in the suite once occupied by former President Barack Obama’s mother, The New York Times reported.

In addition to the White House, the Knavs split their time between an apartment in Trump Tower in New York and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Despite their multiple residences in the U.S., the couple maintained their ties to Slovenia. As of 2016, Viktor and Amalija still owned their house in Sevnica and visited two to three times per year, according to GQ.

They became U.S. citizens in 2018

Viktor and Amalija received their U.S. citizenship in August 2018 in a private ceremony in New York.

Melania sponsored her parents’ green cards, and then Viktor and Amalija applied for citizenship once they were eligible, their lawyer, Michael Wildes, told The New York Times.

Immigration law requires individuals to have their green cards for at least five years before they can apply for citizenship, the newspaper reported. Wildes confirmed to the outlet that the Knavs had met the requirement.

The legal process through which Viktor and Amalija obtained their citizenship was one that Trump pushed to eliminate during his presidency. Known as chain migration or family-based immigration, the program allows U.S. citizens to sponsor immediate family members for legal residency.

While he was president, Trump repeatedly called for chain migration to be terminated, posting in September 2017 on X (formerly Twitter), “CHAIN MIGRATION cannot be allowed to be part of any legislation on Immigration!”

In January 2018, Trump also proposed ending most family-based immigration and replacing it with a system prioritizing skilled immigrants. Under his plan, immigrants would be limited to sponsoring only spouses and underage children —as opposed to parents (like Viktor and Amalija) and other adult family members.

They were attentive grandparents to Barron

Viktor and Amalija shared a close relationship with their only grandchild.

Barron, Trump’s youngest child and his only one with Melania, was raised to be bilingual and frequently called his grandmother to converse in Slovenian.

As grandparents, Viktor and Amalija were incredibly involved in Barron’s life as he grew up, Politico reported. They always had a presence in their grandson’s life, even living with Melania and Barron in the Trump Tower penthouse and the White House.

“[Amalija] has an excellent relationship with Melania and with Barron,” a source close to the family told PEOPLE. “They love her. She is unselfish and takes care of the family. Melania has always been super good with her mom as well as Barron.”

The source added that Barron was particularly close to Amalija, explaining, “There have been times when Barron has been with his grandparents more than with Melania, and a lot more than with Donald.”

Amalija died in January 2024

On Jan. 9, 2024, Melania announced that her mother, Amalija, had died at the age of 78.

“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” Melania wrote in a statement on X.

Her statement continued, “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.”

On New Year's Eve, Trump revealed that Melania was absent from recent family holiday gatherings because she was tending to her mother, who was “very ill” and in the hospital, according to his description.

Melania delivered her mother’s eulogy at her funeral, which was held at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach and attended by Viktor, Donald and Barron —as well as Tiffany Trump, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

“In her presence, the world seemed to shimmer with radiance and joy. Our bond was unbreakable,” Melania said in her speech.

In the days following the funeral, she thanked her supporters for the outpouring of love she received after the loss of her “beloved mother.”

“On behalf of my family, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the love and support that you have showered upon us throughout this journey of loss and grief,” Melania wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of her late mother.

She continued, “We will cherish the beautiful memories of my beloved mother, and forever keep her light in our hearts.”