Melania Trump's New Book Hasn't Even Released Yet, but the Cover Design has Already Raised Eyebrows

Melania Trump's memoir went on pre-sale in August 2024 but the cover design is generating a lot of buzz among the public and media alike. The former first lady's memoir, which is simply titled Melania, resembles a 2020 fashion book called Chanel Catwalk. The fashion book that French author Patrick Mauries wrote has the title printed in white over a plain black background, just like Trump's memoir, as noted by The Daily Beast.

According to publisher Thames & Hudson, Chanel Catwalk compiles every collection from the brand's late fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld. As a result, Trump's memoir came under fire on the internet after she announced the pre-release of the book on her X handle, @MELANIATRUMP. “Our lives are shaped by our experiences, challenges, and achievements. For the first time, I share my journey with you, in my new memoir, Melania,” the former first lady wrote on X, alongside the picture of her memoir. It is set to be released worldwide on October 1, 2024, and is described as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her path, overcome adversity, and defined personal excellence.”

However, Trump was heavily trolled online after making the announcement. “Imagine that the lady who was furious she didn’t get a Vogue cover as First Lady has a memoir with no photo of her on the cover like in every other memoir in history,” journalist Victoria Brownworth posted on X, throwing shade at Trump's memoir cover. “Did Melania copy a Chanel book cover for her ‘Melania’ memoir? I don’t care really, but it’s fun to point out. Melania had no problem plagiarizing Michelle Obama’s speech, so stealing a book cover isn’t a big reach,” author David Stone added on his X handle, @AuthorDavidSto1.

This isn't the first time Trump has faced plagiarizing allegations. According to The Independent, the former first lady was criticized for seemingly taking parts out of Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention speech for her own speech at the Republican National Convention in 2016. People on X who came across Trump's post also left scathing comments about the uncanny resemblance between the two books in question.

Trump's memoir is getting published and released by Skyhorse Publishing, a company that has published works from allies of the former president as well. As per the official website, the memoir's collector’s edition can be bought for $150, a signed copy goes for $75, and a regular copy costs $40, while the book can be bought on Amazon for $30. 

Even though this is the first time Trump is writing a memoir, she has been the subject of many other books, like one written by ex-adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. According to The Independent, Wolkoff authored her book titled Melania and Me where she detailed her time working with the former first lady and their friendship. Wolkoff recounted in the book that Trump would often say that 'pleasing anyone else is not her priority.' “Ever the pragmatist, she reasoned that since she had no control over people’s thoughts, why should she care what they believed,” Wolkoff added, per the outlet.