Melania Trump says she had a happy childhood under communism and explains what it was like growing up in socialist Yugoslavia

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump said Wednesday, in an interview with Fox News Business, that she had “a very happy childhood” during the period when she grew up under communism in Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. The statement comes as her husband, President Donald Trump, frequently uses the term “communism” to criticize Democrats and democratic socialists in the United States.

Born in 1970 in Novo Mesto as Melanija Knavs, Melania grew up in socialist Yugoslavia, which was governed by the Communist Party. She said her family provided her with a happy childhood, but acknowledged that people had to be careful about what they did and that society was less free than the United States is today.

Slovenia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, following multiparty elections held in 1990. Melania moved to the United States in the 1990s and became an American citizen in 2006.

In the same interview, she spoke about the difficulties of family life at the White House and said that time spent together suffers because of their work schedules. Melania also said she maintains a dialogue with the Russian side regarding the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families.