Melania Trump Defends Husband Donald In Glamorous At Home Shoot: 'America Needs Him'

Douglas Friedman

Melania Trump is getting candid about her husband’s controversial presidential bid, the secrets to their happy marriage, and why she’s only just now stepping into the spotlight.

In the February issue of Harper’s BAZAAR the 45-year-old Slovenia native defends Donald, 69, and reveals why she thinks he’ll make a good president.”He is a great leader – the best leader, an amazing negotiator. America needs that, and he believes in America.”

“He believes in its potential and what it can be, because it is now in big trouble I just believe he has what it takes to be an amazing president,” she adds.

Touching on Donald’s controversial comments surrounding immigration, Melania says in the interview that she “followed the rules” when coming to America. “It never crossed my mind to stay here without papers. That is just the person you are. You follow the rules. You follow the law. Every few months you need to fly back to Europe and stamp your visa. After a few visas, I applied for a green card and got it in 2001. After the green card, I applied for citizenship. And it was a long process,” she says.

In November last year, Melania made her first appearance on the campaign trail as she joined Donald at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The former model delivered a short and sweet message to the crowd of supporters: “Good evening, isn’t he the best? He will be the best president ever. We love you!”

Talking about why she is remaining for the most part, in the shadows, she says: “I’m choosing not to go political in public because that is my husband’s job. I’m very political in private life, and between me and my husband I know everything that is going on. I follow from A to Z. But I chose not to be on the campaign. I made that choice. I have my own mind. I am my own person, and I think my husband likes that about me.”

In the glamorous shoot, Melania is seen posing in their New York penthouse apartment, where she and Donald reside with their 9-year-old son Barron. Last year the family opened their doors to PEOPLE in an exclusive at home interview.

Revealing the secrets to their happy marriage, she tells Harper’s: “I give him my opinions, and sometimes he takes them in, and sometimes he does not. Do I agree with him all the time? No. I think it is good for a healthy relationship. I am not a ‘yes’ person. No matter who you are married to, you still need to lead your life. I don t want to change him. And he doesn’t want to change me.”

Harper’s BAZAAR‘s February issue is on newsstands January 19.