Compromising images of President-elect Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, was reportedly aired on live TV by a Russian state media outlet. The incident took place soon after Trump clinched the victory in the 2024 US presidential election on Tuesday.
As seen in a clip circulating on X, the former first lady's explicit images were aired on the Russia-1 network's 60 Minutes. In the clip, anchor Yevgeny Popov can be heard welcoming Melania back to the White House as the photos are displayed on-screen in the background. Here's what he had to say:
"Now that Melania Trump's husband has finally won, she is getting ready to come back to the White House for a second time. Here is how Melania looked in the year 2000. This is the cover of the magazine GQ."
The internet was livid, with many asserting that presenting the photos to such a large audience was uncalled for, and a low blow. However, others began speculating that the move had subliminal messaging to it:
"It's their way of saying they control Trump.. and we have already seen Trump allow them to meddle in elections, step foot in the White House, access classified information, and Trump even said he trust Putin over the United States intelligence agencies!"
Several more chimed in to theorize:
"That's a reminder to Trump's administration from Russia, informing him that they helped him win by using misinformation and false bomb threats at polling stations," someone else speculated.
"The ultimate reminder that “I still own you”," another theorized.
"Bribery is actively happening. Hear me out, what if Trump is eerily silent because He knows Putin is about to Rat him AND Elon out if they don’t pay up… and I mean BIG time," somebody else posited.
"A warning sign - "don't toe the line, we've got a LOT more"," yet another asserted.
The speculations carried on:
"I think that was Putin reminding Trump he can embarrass or ruin him at will," yet another insisted.
"That tells that right now Putin is deciding who will be part of Trump's government and Trump is fighting back one of the nominations. Thus Putin's reminder to Trump today that he has videos/documents that will end Trump. I'm sure Trump wont disagree again Putin decisions," another claimed.
"This is just a warning shot. It says “Look what we can do. And we have *lots* more. Either do what we say or you’ll be sorry.”," yet another person echoed.
"It appears to be a strong statement telling Trump who is in charge. It also could be a reminder of all the evidence Putin has on Trump, and he is not afraid to reveal it," another user tweeted.
Others simply began theorizing that there was foul play involved in Trump's win in the first place.
Melania defends her past, scrutinizes society for not appreciating "the human form in a fashion photo shoot"
In the video, the Russian anchor can be seen weighing in on each compromising shot of Melania, as she can be seen posing "on top of furs in a negligee,” and “near a private airplane and aboard a plane." According to the US Sun, the pictures were shot at Trump's Boeing 727 in 2000.
Melania Trump defended her actions, however, back in September. She took to social media to promote her new book, and touched on the controversies her shots have ignited:
"Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work? The more pressing question is: Why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot?”
She continued, as seen in a video on X:
"Are we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body? Throughout history, master artists have revered the human shape, evoking profound emotions and admiration. We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self expression."
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Russia has welcomed the former President back to the White House, with Putin noting that Trump was "brave."
Putin even congratulated Trump on his landslide win.
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