Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, have repeatedly been under scrutiny and subjected to many rumors on social media. When she first made her relationship with Trump public, back in 1999, there were numerous speculations that she was only with him because of his wealth and status.

In an old 1999 interaction with ABC News correspondent Don Dahler, Melania was asked whether she was affected by these rumors and accusations.

The First Lady, who was then a successful model in New York, was asked by Dahler, “Have you been hurt by the comments that you’re with him because he’s rich?” She was quick to reply, “No, I don’t want to comment on that.”

Trump was 52, and Melania was 28 when they first met and started dating. Their 24-year age gap immediately drew attention, and the now first lady faced accusations of being with her then-boyfriend only because of his billionaire status.

Dahler called the age gap between them a bit weird, adding, “You don’t see many 26-year-old supermodels on the arm of a 53-year-old car mechanic.”

Unaffected by the question, Melania said, “You know, the people, they don’t know me. People who talk like this don’t know me.” She implied that her relationship with Trump had genuine emotions involved and did not happen because of the latter’s wealth or status.

She added, “You could feel very empty. And if somebody said, ‘You’re with the man because he’s rich and famous,’ they don’t know me.” Talking about their love story, the two met at a Fashion Week party in Manhattan in 1998.

In a 2016 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Melania recalled that the 79-year-old had approached her while he was on a date with another woman. She refused to give him her number and instead asked for his.

In response to this, Trump gave her all of his numbers, which included direct lines to his residence, office, and Mar-a-Lago. The 55-year-old gave him a ring, and they soon began a whirlwind romance.

The FLOTUS admitted that she was attracted to his energy on the phone and his “vitality.” Donald Trump popped the question to his now-wife on April 26, 2004, at the MET Gala.

He presented Melania with a 15-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, which she accepted in private, thus getting engaged in the process. The couple tied the knot on January 22, 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida. They welcomed their son, Barron Trump, in 2006.

According to the Irish Star, in his then-public appearances, Trump gushed about his engagement and called Melania a “great woman, a great person.”

Many social media users reacted to Melania’s reply after the video of the old interview went viral on the internet recently.

One of the social media users stated, “She’s a straight shooter and always has been.” Another X user said, “She’s 100% right. Men trade resources for beauty, women trade beauty for resources. It’s biology, not gold-digging. Change my mind.”

Another user on X commented, “lol this isn’t offensive… It’s like a guy saying Yeah, I’m with her cause she’s hot… idk this is seen as immoral. Women have mated with the strongest lion/provider protection since before the dawn of man… they are married, have a child, they work well together, total power couple.”