Donald And Melania Trump Reportedly Had Conflicts Over Their Preferred News Channels
Donald and Melania Trump have had an immensely public relationship. We've witnessed everything from their $2.5 million mega-wedding in 2005, to the contest for the presidency, to the fallout (or lack thereof) from Donald's numerous rumored affairs. Now, a book by Katie Rogers, "American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden," reveals some alleged petty disagreements in Melania and Donald Trump's marriage. According to the book, which was published in February 2024, Melania likes to get her news from CNN while Donald favors Fox.
Rogers claims that their difference in opinion came to a head in July 2018 during an international trip. During the flight, Melania reportedly chose to watch CNN, which infuriated the then-president, who immediately commanded that all the televisions on their planes and hotel suites were only permitted to stream Fox.
While Donald's disdain for CNN is not new, Melania's reported preference for the network is. Since her husband became president, she has appeared on the network a handful of times. Donald, on the other hand, stopped giving interviews to CNN after his first campaign for the presidency in 2016. He eventually gave up his boycott in a bid to appeal to new voters and was once again interviewed on the channel in May 2023.
Donald Trump's beef with CNN began during his first presidential campaign
There is no doubt that Katie Rogers was spot-on about Donald Trump's hatred for CNN. However, this wasn't always the case. Before his 2016 campaign, the businessman often appeared on the network's shows, sharing his political ideologies. In 2010, he spoke to CNN's Poppy Harlow about how the USA gave China too many manufacturing jobs. He also gave interviews criticizing Barack Obama as a leader and explaining how he'd do better.
But when Donald ran for president in 2016, CNN took a more critical stance on him than Fox. The network covered the highs of his campaign and published ratings favoring the GOP but didn't hesitate to harshly criticize him for stating he was worth $10 billion. They also published polls that didn't favor Donald and put him on blast for mistreating employees and tenants during his stint as a landlord.
Soon, the republican candidate began to hit back against CNN. On May 21, 2016, he criticized the network via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: "@CNN is so negative, getting even worse as I get closer. Just had two anti-Trump losers with zero rebuttal from my team. Turning off!" In July that year, he called CNN a "sick" network and asked his supporters at a Cincinnati rally not to watch them anymore. Eventually, the relationship between the politician and CNN would deteriorate even further. After losing his re-election campaign in 2021, Donald Trump wanted to sue CNN for allegedly playing a role in his loss.
Melania has stated publicly that she and Donald often disagree
Katie Rogers' claims were not publicly addressed by any member of the Trump family, but an old interview with Fox News suggests that she wasn't so far from the truth. During an interview with Sean Hannity in December 2018, Melania Trump disclosed that she and Donald Trump often disagree.
When asked how she communicated with her husband about political issues, Melania said, "Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn't." She also shared that they frequently clashed over Donald's social media posts. Melania told Hannity she'd once tried to stop Donald from tweeting a post. "I said to him, 'I don't think you need to tweet that out,' but in the end, it's his decision. He knows the consequences," she shared.
In an interview with CNN, Melania also stated that one reason that she and Donald stay together is because they allow each other to be themselves. Despite their disagreements, Melania has stated that she is fully behind Donald in his second bid to become president.