While his war spiraled out of control in the Middle East late Monday, President Trump apparently soothed himself to bed by reminding himself what his wife looked like when she was 20 years younger.
The death toll in Iran had reportedly risen to nearly 800 as of Monday evening as the war spread, with Americans who found themselves trapped in countries affected by the conflict left to fend for themselves.
In the White House, however, the president was taking a trip down memory lane to when he and now-First Lady Melania Trump appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to bathe in the afterglow of their engagement in 2004.
“And Melania, you’re now engaged, congratulations,” DeGeneres said, before pointing at the ring, showing off the rock, and mocking Trump for pretending he didn’t know what carat it was.
The hyper-edited clip then moved into other interviews, with Melania saying at one point that the best thing about Trump was that “he’s a loyal man.” She didn’t have an answer for what his worst trait was.
In a newer clip in the edit, Trump can be heard doting on her, saying, “Is this the greatest first lady? People love our first lady.”
The 79-year-old’s lovey-dovey post came at an unusual time, especially amid widespread reports that the pair do not share a bedroom and suggestions that the first lady may live outside the White House.
That it came while a war Trump started rages in the Middle East made the post even more jarring.
Late Monday, he also used his Truth Social account to share a Fox News article about Melania gearing up to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, making history as the first presidential spouse to do so.
He resumed the Melania hype-fest in the early hours of Tuesday morning, sharing a Breitbart article ogling Melania’s Dior suit at the UN in New York City.
The meeting centered on children and education in conflict, with the first lady stressing the importance of children’s education in “advancing tolerance and world peace,” the BBC reports.
“When conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected,” she said. “We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days.”
Without specifying which conflict she was referring to, she also offered her sympathy to the families of U.S. servicemembers who had lost their lives.
“Their bravery and dedication will always be remembered,” she said.
At least six U.S. servicemembers have been killed since Trump launched a war against Iran early Saturday. The six unidentified troops were inside a makeshift operations center in Kuwait when it took a direct hit amid Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
Both Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have acknowledged that Americans will likely be killed in the fighting but claimed the administration had no choice but to start the war.
Trump’s Truth Social barrage wasn’t the first time he’d used his wife in a bid to try and charm people who might otherwise not be pleased with him.
In a speech at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Monday, Trump delivered a trademark meandering monologue, at one point telling the audience that Melania was not happy with the noise the construction on his big ballroom project has been making.
“When you hear all the hammering out there, you know why the first lady is not thrilled exactly,” he said. “She said, ‘Will the pile drivers ever stop?’ You know they go from six in the morning until 11:30 in the evening. Can you imagine?”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
