Melania opens up about watching raid to kill al-Baghdadi from inside Situation Room
Melania Trump shares a stunning account of her experience witnessing the deadly raid on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in her new book.
The Former First Lady says President Trump invited her by surprise to the top-secret Situation Room, where presidents and their closest advisers can observe military operation all over the world.
"I was caught off guard when I received a call informing me that the president wanted to see me in the Oval Office," she writes in Melania.
"I was directed to join him in the Situation Room - a first and unique experience for me."
Melania drops BOMB
President Trump famously declared that Al-Baghdadi died "like a dog" in a vivid speech describing the raid in October 2019. At the time, Trump described how special forces, aided by military dogs, cornered Al-Baghdadi in a Syrian tunnel before he blew himself up.
"He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children," Trump said at the time.
Behind the scenes, President Trump was playful and eager to show off, his wife recalls.
"Watch this incredible action at work,' Donald whispered to me," Melania writes in the book.
Melania admits her husband's invitation to watch the historic mission took her by surprise, but she understood he wanted to share the crucial moment with her.
"The mission to eliminate the leader of ISIS was a significant objective, and the successful completion of this operation would be a major accomplishment," Melania writes. 'This pivotal moment was one that Donald wanted to share with me."
Melania's subtle influence
Weeks after the raid, President Trump honored Conan, the brave Belgian Malinois injured in the raid, at the White House Rose Garden.
In his own book, former Defense Secretary Chris Miller credited Melania with the idea of giving a tribute to Conan.
It's just one of the quiet ways that Melania, long portrayed as an unwilling First Lady, influenced her husband's presidency.
Her memoir - which she says will correct popular "misrepresentations" of her - paints the picture of a close but subtle adviser to the president.
In her recollection of another memorable episode, Melana takes credit for convincing President Trump to end his hardline "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which led to a national uproar in 2018.