Photo: News.com.au
Daddy issues much?
By Arianna Jeret — Written on Jun 12, 2017
Something dramatic seems to happen every time President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump disembark from a plane.
Just check out this photo, which surfaced today on Twitter ...
Hey ... Wait one minute!
That's not Donald and Melania! That's Melania's parents, Amalija and Viktor Knavs.
Verrrrry in-ter-est-ing!
You don't really have to look all that closely to catch the similarities between the Donald and Melania's dad, or between Melania and her mother for that matter.
A daughter taking after her mom isn't exactly anything new, of course, and neither is a woman marrying a man, especially a man of means, who strongly resembles the man who was most influential in her youth.
And in the case of Melania Trump, the apple didn't fall far from the tree OR the from the trunk. (Um, I don't know if that's a thing, but I like it, so I'm keeping it.)
Melania and Donald ...
Melania's parents ...
Getty Images
Melania and Donald ...
Melania's parents ...
I personally searched Google images to see if these photos were just a fluke, and it appears to me that the biggest difference between the two couples is how much happier Viktor and Amalija seem to be in each other's company than do Melania and POTUS.
Just to see how deep the similarities lie, we did some research on Mr. and Mrs. Knavs.
And with that, here are 10 noteworthy things to know about Melania Trump's father:
1. He was a registered Communist.
Although only 5 percent or so of the population of Melania's homeland, the Republic of Slovenia, were able to join the elite Communist Party at the time, Viktor was able to make his way in (her mother did not).
According to an article in Metro UK, "Viktor’s party membership came in handy when it came to securing a job for himself and Amalija, and allowed them access to goods that others couldn’t get hold of," continuing with a quote from a family member who shared that, "Viktor was in the Party which helped you to get government jobs or higher positions.’"
2. He once worked as a chauffeur to the town mayor.
In a profile on Melania in GQ Magazine, she shared that Viktor spent the earliest years of her life "working for the mayor of Hrastnik, Viktor, then a member of the Slovenian Communist Party."
3. He also worked as a car salesman.
A traveling car salesman, to be more precise. Which, may or may not bring us to item number 4 ...
4. He (allegedly) has a child with another woman.
Melania was apparently peeved, to put it lightly, with GQ journalist Julia Ioffe, because, as reported by CBS News, "Among other revelations, Ioffe's report divulged the existence of Mrs. Trump's half-brother, whom Melania Trump's father, Victor Knavs, never acknowledged and whose existence Melania first denied to Ioffe. (Trump later said that she had 'known about this for years' but had just misunderstood Ioffe's questioning.)"
5. He was involved in real estate.
Not at the same level as the Trump family, of course, but according to the New York Times, when Melania moved on to attend the Secondary School of Design and Photography, she moved into an apartment her father had purchased as an investment property.
6. Viktor has always had a knack for distinguishing himself from the crowd.
The New York Times also included a comment from that property's superintendent, Joze Yuk, who said, “He always wore a tie, smart clothes and carried a briefcase. ... You could not avoid noticing him.”
7. He and Amalija now spend a good part of the year hanging out at Trump Tower or relaxing at Mar-a-Lago with Melania and Barron.
Because wouldn't you?
8. He has a fondness for fine cars.
Melania's childhood friend, Mirjana Jelančič, told GQ that he would see Viktor "every Saturday lovingly washing his antique Mercedes, another rarity. 'It was like a ritual.'"
9. He is far closer in age to Donald than to Melania.
At the age of 73-years-old, Viktor is only two and a half years older than his son-in-law, the President of the United States of America, who turns 71 on June 14, 2017.
Melania turned 47 in April, and her mother, Amalija, will turn 72 in July.
10. Melania's own friends have noticed the resemblance!
In the same New York Times piece mentioned above, one of FLOTUS' childhood friends shared some interesting details.
“'Donald and Melania are similar to Viktor and Amalija,' said Nena Bedek, who was close to Ms. Trump in childhood, and who added that she was 'not surprised' that her friend had married someone similar to her father. 'Melania was closer to her mother than her father. Viktor was often away, and Malci and the girls were often alone.'"