Melania Trump defends past nude modeling work while promoting new memoir

Though she has remained largely out of the spotlight during her husband's 2024 presidential campaign, former first lady Melania Trump is speaking up to defend her past nude modeling work just a few weeks ahead of the election.

The former fashion model addressed her past work in a 45-second video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday to promote her upcoming memoir "Melania." She stood by her decision and blamed the media for scrutinizing her "celebration of the human form."

"Are we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body?" Trump asks in the video. "We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self expression."

The video included subtitles and a slideshow appearing to compare her modeling work to classical art, including Michelangelo's "David." In a voice-over, she added that "master artists have revered the human shape" throughout history.

Trump has not often joined her husband on the campaign trail as he vies for a second term in the White House, but she did speak out when a would-be assassin attempted to take his life in Pennsylvania in July, calling it a "heinous attack."

Melania Trump's memoir is set for an Oct. 8 release, according to Skyhorse Publishing.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Melania Trump defends nude modeling work