The first lady gave her impressions on a range of issues for an upcoming TV special.
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| First Lady Melania Trump tours the Giza Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, on October 6. The first lady spent several days touring Africa in her first overseas trip without President Donald Trump. White House Photo by Andrea Hanks/UPI |
By Nicholas Sakelaris, UPI
First lady Melania Trump says in an upcoming television interview there are trust issues in the Trump administration, and that she's one of the most bullied people in the world.
A portion of the interview aired Thursday on Good Morning America. In it, she said there are people she doesn't trust in the White House -- and she lets her husband, President Donald Trump know about it.
"Some people, they don't work there anymore," she said.
In the wide-ranging interview with ABC News' Tom Llamas, Trump was asked if she's a sounding board for the president.
"I give him my honest advice and my honest opinions and he does what he wants to do," she answered.
Asked whether there are still administration staffers she does not trust, the Slovenian-born Trump said, "Yes."
She added that such distrust makes it hard to govern.
"You always need to watch your back," she said.
Trump's interview comes just weeks after a New York Times report cited an unidentified White House official who criticized the president's demeanor and implied there's a resistance to Trump in the presidential residence that curbs his agenda.
Melania Trump has been the subject of international speculation, in view of the president's controversial positions and various personal accusations -- including the claim he paid adult video star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an extramarital affair.
"I believe that my husband is doing a incredible job for this nation and I want the American people to have success," the first lady said.
She said being first lady in polarizing times is difficult and added she's chronically harassed online by political opponents, even when she's doing charity work.
"I can say, I'm the most bullied person in the world," she said. "One of them. If you really see what people are saying about me."
Her experience with online harassment prompted her to start the Be Best campaign to fight cyber bullying.
"We need to educate the children of social and emotional behavior so when they grow up they know how to deal with those issues," she said.
Melania Trump's full interview with Llamas will air in a special Friday night on ABC, Being Melania -- The First Lady.
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