First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, is no stranger to making headlines, often for her elegant wardrobe and polished appearances.
This time, however, she has commanded attention for a reason that, according to a source, reveals her true character, with details shared by one of her close confidants, interior designer Tham Kannalikham.
Kannalikham has shed light on Melania’s habit of sending secret letters to those she works with, and how one of them once rendered the recipient speechless.
“Words cannot express this moment,” Kannalikham recalled being told by the recipient.
Melania Trump made sure to check up on a collaborator facing health issues
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The Daily Mail spoke to Tham Kannalikham on Wednesday, March 25, about her experiences working with Melania Trump for nearly a decade.
While working together on designing a tennis pavilion at the White House’s South Grounds in 2020, Kannalikham recalled mentioning to Melania, “almost in passing,” that a young sculptor who had contributed her talents to the pavilion’s plaster design was soon to undergo surgery.
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“Mrs. Trump paused and quietly asked for her address,” Kannalikham recalled.
A few days later, Kannalikham’s phone rang, and the sculptor she had mentioned to Melania was on the other end.
The latter’s voice was something “between disbelief and profound emotion,” as she told Kannalikham that Melania had mailed her a personal letter.
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The sculptor was “touched” by the First Lady’s gesture and said she could not put her emotions into words.
“A woman carrying the weight of such public responsibilities had paused, in the midst of everything, to think of her in such a deliberate and tender way. It is simply who Mrs. Trump is,” Kannalikham said.
In her Daily Mail interview, Kannalikham said Melania has a “habit” of writing letters and placing phone calls without fanfare “to offer words of encouragement to craftspeople, young artisans, those who are ill, and those who simply need to feel seen.”
These exchanges are “not brief or obligatory,” she noted, adding that the First Lady “gives her time fully” to those she speaks to.
Personal collaborators are not the only recipients of messages from Melania, as she once famously wrote to Vladimir Putin
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The U.S. president himself delivered his wife’s letter when he met his Russian counterpart for a summit in Alaska in August 2025.
In her letter, which she shared on Instagram, Melania addressed the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
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“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger,” her letter began.
“As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope,” she continued. “As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.”
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“Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all, so that every soul may wake to peace and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded,” Melania added.
She went on to implore Putin to protect the innocence of children, arguing that in doing so, “you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself.”
Critics were not convinced by Melania Trump’s letter-sending habit
“Good for her for wanting to do good, but it is of no use,” one said on Reddit, referring to the letter Melania sent to Putin, while another advised her to “talk to her own husband” on the matter concerning children.
“What about immigrant kids in the US?” a third asked Melania.
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Someone else wondered “which Michelle Obama speech” the FLOTUS “ripped off” for her letter.
A fifth mocked Melania by calling her a Russian “spy” and claimed the letter she sent to Putin was her “asking for a raise.”
Melania’s correspondence habits have come to light amid her going viral for walking into the White House with a robot
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Melania has been hosting an international technology summit at the White House since Tuesday, March 24.
On Wednesday, she entered the East Room of the presidential residence alongside Figure 3, a shiny black-and-white droid that greeted guests from 45 nations and 28 tech companies in multiple languages.
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“I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education,” the robot said before walking back down a White House corridor.
“It’s fair to state, you are my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House,” Melania quipped after its exit.
She went on to speak alongside other first spouses, like France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron, about the importance of balancing the use of technology with safety to equip young people with practical skills.
The internet, however, focused less on the message they were trying to convey and more on comparing Melania to the machine she had brought out.
“The robot showed more personality,” one remarked, while another added, “It can pronounce the languages it is using correctly.”
“So she has a twin? Not shocked at all,” noted a third.
“They walk the same,” another said.
“An act of humanity,” a social media user said about Melania Trump’s letters
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