>> things that people say that i'm not happy in the white house that i don't even live there, and that i'm miserable in my marriage, that i'm out of touch. there's so many things, i don't know where to start. >> tonight, melania trump in her own words. the first lady in an exclusive revealing interview with abc's tom llamas. no questions off limits. from immigration -- >> it was unacceptable for me to see children and parents separated. it was heartbreaking. >> to her personal cause as first lady. >> i will be hit with criticism talking about cyber bullying.

but it will not stop me to do what is right. >> and that wardrobe choice with a message. >> let's talk about the jacket. >> the jacket. >> this special edition of "nightline," "being melania, the first lady," will be right back.

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first lady," continues. here now, tom llamas. >> good evening. and thanks for joining us. she is arguably one of the most intriguing and private first ladies. tonight melania trump in an exclusive interview during her recent trip to africa revealing aide of her we rarely see. opening up about her relationship with her husband. the "me too" movement. her controversial fashion choices. and why she says she is one of the most bullied people in the world. in washington, people really don't know her like they know most first ladies. melania trump is the most private first lady we've seen in the modern era. she's one of the most recognizable faces in the world. a stylish first lady. a devoted mother. but beyond that, melania trump remains for many americans an enigma. finish this sentence.

"melania trump is?" >> oh, there's so many. a mother. a wife. a daughter. a sister. a friend. the first lady of the united states. caring. compassionate. strong. independent. very detail oriented. and staying true to herself. >> reporter: we set off with melania trump on her first solo trip on the world stage. this scenic wildlife preserve in kenya serving as the backdrop for her first extensive sitdown since becoming first lady. what's the most surprising thing about being first lady for you? >> it's sad to see that

urbanization and foundations that i want to partner with choose not to because of the administration. >> what's the worst thing you've had to read about yourself since you've been in the white house? >> it's all the things that people say, that i'm not happy in the white house, that i don't even live there, and that i'm miserable in my marriage, that i'm out of touch. there's so many things, i don't know where to start. >> reporter: the billionaire real estate developer often talked of being president, and melania knew long ago his dream could one day become a reality. can you picture yourself a first lady? >> yes, i would be very traditional. like jackie kennedy. i would support him. i will do a lot of social obligations. >> reporter: less than 20 years later, that famous escalator ride would take her from her fifth avenue penthouse all the way to the white house.

>> she had the least preparation of any first lady in our history, with the possible exception of martha washington. >> reporter: the job of first lady comes with no specific duties. each defining her role in a unique and personal way. >> the first lady is expected by tradition to be out there, to have a set list of causes. >> reporter: for melania trump, that cause is "be best." >> an awareness campaign dedicated to the most valuable and fragile among us, our children. >> the irony is lost on no one. here she is championing this anti-cyber bullying initiative. and she is the wife of perhaps one of the most well-known cyber bullies on the planet. >> reporter: online and in person, the president can be ruthless. >> oh, i don't know what i said, uh, i don't remember!

wacky jackie is campaigning with pocahontas, you believe this? a seriously low iq person. >> is it tough when your husband goes on twitter and he's also been known to name-call and be so aggressive and to bully other people. >> i don't agree always what he posts. but his action is his action. and i tell him that. i know i will be hit with criticism talking about cyber bullying. but it will not stop me to do what is right. >> reporter: melania trump says she knows firsthand what it's like to be targeted. >> i could say i'm the most bullied person in the world. >> you think you're the most bullied person in the world? >> one of them. ? you really see what people are saying about me. and sometimes people would not say to you face-to-face, but hiding behind keyboards and

that's the danger. >> reporter: looming large over melania's trip to africa, alleged derogatory comments from her husband. >> he asked, quote, why are we having all these people from blank-hole countries come here? >> did that come up at all, did anybody discuss that with you? >> nobody discussed that with me and i never heard him saying those comments. and that was anonymous source and i will leave it at that. >> it was a meeting with members of congress. and some of them spoke about what the president said. this wasn't exactly anonymous sources. >> reporter: melania trump, an immigrant herself, also caught up in the middle of another immigration flash point. and this time it's a family affair. her husband's opposition to so-called chain migration. >> a guy comes in and then you have to bring his aunt, his uncle, his father, his grandfather, his grandparents -- >> reporter: melania trump's parents recently natuli just befiting from thech migratn

denoces. >> i believe in the policies that my husband put together. because i believe that we need to be very vigilant who is coming to the country. >> but do you think people should be able to bring in their mother and their father? >> yes, of course. but we need to vet them. we need to know who they are. >> have you told your husband this? >> yes, of course. >> reporter: but if that's the case, that's something the president has never publicly outlined. >> our laws are so bad. they're so pathetic. catch and release. >> reporter: and it was with an immigration issue that melania trump found her strongest voice. taking on her own husband over his controversial policy of separating families crossing the border illegally. >> i saw it on the news. and i reacted right away. >> was it the kids in the cages? we interviewed mothers who were crying, saying they'd been separated for eight months from their children. >> a separation, yes. it was unacceptable for me to see children and parents

separated. it was heartbreaking. and i reacted with my own voice. >> we begin with the first lady's visit to the border where children have been separated from their parents -- >> i'd also like to ask you how i can help. >> what did you learn at the border? >> i met with the border patrol agents. and they're doing a great job. and after my trip i asked them how i can help to reunite the children and parents. >> there are hundreds of kids that are still not with their parents. what would you tell them? >> i would tell them to keep strong. and that time will come, everything needs to go through the core system. >> it was under your husband's policy, the zero tolerance policy, that these families were separated. that enforcement. is this somewhere where you disagreed with him? >> yes. and i let him know. i didn't know that that policy would come out. i was blind-sided by it. i told him at home. and i said to him that i feel

that's unacceptable. and he felt the same. >> you're going to have a lot of happy people. >> reporter: one of the rare times president trump has changed course on an issue, putting a stop to family separations. >> this is certainly not a president who likes to reverse course when it comes to an issue. so if the first lady is the one who convinced him, end this family separations policy, it really speaks to the role of what a strong adviser she is in his inner circle. >> reporter: but it was during that first trip to the border that the first lady's concern for those separated families was called into question. all because of that now-infamous jacket. why did you wear it? >> i wore the jacket to go on the plane and off the plane. and it was for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me and i want to show them that i don't care. you can criticize whatever you want to say. but it will not stop me to do what i feel is right.

>> reporter: as the first lady stepped off the plane on the second leg of her africa visit -- ♪ ♪ >> reporter: thousands of miles away, her husband had just made headlines in the bitter debate over the credibility of dr. christine blasey ford, the woman at the center of the kavanaugh hearings. >> how did you get home? i don't remember. how'd you get there? i don't remember. where is the place? i don't remember. how many years ago was it? i don't know. i don't know. i don't know. >> can women in the "me too" movement call you a supporter? >> women, they have always my support. i feel that women and men, they should be heard. and we should all be treated equal. >> reporter: but for her husband and stepson, don jr., it is men, not the women, who have spoken of fear of the "me too"

movement. >> a scary time for young men in america when you can be guilty of something you're not guilty of. >> i think we need to be concerned for all of them. not just boys or girls. i think for all of them. >> is this sort of a tough conversation you'll eventually have, do you think, with your son? >> i teach my son to be respectful. and responsible. and i have a conversation with him already. he's 12 1/2. and i think it's very important, especially the world changed so much. >> do you think men in the news that have been accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment, have been treated unfairly? >> you need to have evidence. you need to have really hard evidence, that you know, that if you accuse of something, show the evidence. >> reporter: coming up, for the first time, melania trump addresses questions about her husband's alleged affair. and the personal storm that hit the white house. has your husband apologized to

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this special edition of "nightline," "being melania, the first lady," continues. >> president trump's accusers are now demanding that congress act. >> reporter: more than a dozen women have accused president trump of sexual misconduct, which he denies. this past year, a new scandal broke that placed her marriage under the white-hot scrutiny of the press once again. >> we're going to begin with that new scandal rocking the white house. stormy daniels. >> stormy daniels. >> reporter: when the news broke about porn star stormy daniels being paid by the president's

personal attorney, michael cohen, to stay silent about the alleged affair, there was no response from the first lady. >> there were lots of rumors that she was furious after the stormy daniels story became public. and she wasn't seen in public for a good while after that. >> reporter: the white house denied the president had an affair. you're not the first first lady to have to deal with her husband's alleged infidelities. has this put a strain on your marriage? >> it is not a concern and focus of mine. i'm a mother and a first lady and i have much more important things to think about and to do. >> have you been hurt, though? >> it's not always pleasant, of course. but i know what is right and what is wrong and what is true and not true. >> reporter: at first the president denied any knowledge about a payment to stormy daniels. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? >> no. >> reporter: but one month later, he finally admitted that he knew about the payoff.

>> can you tell how does she feel these days with the stormy daniels affair in the background -- >> she believes in her husband, she knows it's not true. >> reporter: the next day, this statement from the first lady's spokesperson. i don't believe mrs. trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with mr. giuliani. the only time you've commented publicly, your office, when rudy giuliani said your thoughts about stormy daniels' claims, said she believes in her husband, she knows it's not true. is that an accurate statement? >> i never talk to mr. giuliani. >> why do you think he came out and said that? >> i don't know, you need to ask him. >> reporter: it's not the first time questions have arisen about how melania trump would react to scandalous reports. >> now are you on the show? >> a month before the election this jaw-dropping tape between president trump and billy bush

was released. >> i'm automatically attracted to them, kissing them. when you're a star they let you do anything. grab them by the [ bleep ]. do anything. >> during the "access hollywood" incident, during the campaign, your husband apologized to you. has your husband apologized to you since you've been in the white house? >> yeah, he apologized. >> can you tell us what he apologized about? >> you know, i know i'm the first lady, but i'm also a mother and a wife. so i will keep some private thoughts for myself. so we'll leave it at that. >> reporter: then, just yesterday, the white house had this clarification. the president often apologizes to mrs. trump for all the media nonsense and scrutiny she has been under since entering the white house. and those close to him say that if anyone can get the famously stubborn president to change his mind on an issue, it's his own

wife. one of the president's closest friends, tom barrett jr., told "vanity fair," the one who has the most control over donald trump is melania, 100%. is that true? >> oh, i wish. i give him my honest advice and honest opinions. and then he does what he wants to do. >> he's been in office almost two years. has he had people that you'd entrust working for him? >> yes. >> did you let him know? >> i let him know. >> what did he do? >> some people, they don't work there anymore. >> reporter: in fact, the trump white house is notorious for its swiftly revolving door. >> the president's national security adviser film forced to resign -- >> steve bannon has resigned -- >> sean spicer is out -- >> reince priebus is out -- >> he lasted 11 days on the job, anthony scaramucci ordered out -- >> do you think there's still people there that he can trust? >> yes. >> still working now? >> yes. >> reporter: right now no

marriage on the planet more talked about, gossiped about, whispered about, than theirs. on the public stage, in front of the cameras, he's the proud husband. >> i watched her get off that plane this morning in africa. and so beautiful. and she was hugging and kissing children. it was beautiful to see. she's doing a great job as first lady, i will tell you. >> reporter: but under the glare of the presidential spotlight, photos and moments emerging, not in line with the image of an ideal marriage. >> people try to scrutinize every little movement. did she swat away his hands? for people who like president trump, she is a great, elegant asset to him and to the country. she's a great first lady. for people who don't like ehoiv whhetrump, s i hetleith arm candy on the billionaire.

>> reporter: so we asked melania trump herself for the final answer. you mentioned you have a good marriage. do you love your husband? >> yes, we are fine, yes. what the media speculate, it's gossip. it's not always correct stuff. >> reporter: the mystery of the nation's most scrutinized marriage not quite solved. thank you, mrs. trump. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. my gums are irritated. i don't have to worry about that, do i? actually, you do. harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. and, now there's new crest gum and enamel repair... it gives you clinically proven healthier gums and helps repair and strengthen weakened enamel. gum detoxify and gum and enamel repair, from crest.

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and you can see much more of my interview with first lady melania trump on our website. thanks so much for