An awkward exchange betweenMelania Trumpand Pope Francis during a 2017 Vatican visit has reignited debate over the long-standing claim that the First Lady speaks six languages.

The moment, which resurfaced in discussions about Melania Trump's public image, centres on a meeting where Pope Francis spoke to her in Spanish — only for an interpreter to step in moments later. The incident has since fuelled questions about whether the six-language claim may have been overstated.

Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump moved across Europe while pursuing a modelling career in the 1990s and early 2000s before settling in the United States. During interviews at the time,she said she could speak multiple languages, eventually telling MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski that she speaks English, Italian, French, German, and Slovenian. Serbian—attributed to her upbringing in the former Yugoslavia—was later added by commentators, bringing the widely reported total to six. The statement helped shape her public persona as a cosmopolitan figure capable of communicating with leaders across the world.

However, years later, an encounter with Pope Francis would draw renewed scrutiny to that claim.

In May 2017, Donald Trump and Melania Trump travelled to the Vatican as part of the president's first overseas trip in office. The visit included a private audience with Pope Francis, attended by members of the Trump family including Ivanka Trump. Melania Trump appeared at the meeting wearing a traditional black veil and maintained a solemn expression throughout the encounter.

According toreportslater detailed in Mary Jordan's biography 'The Art of Her Deal', the meeting took an unexpected turn when Pope Francis greeted her in Spanish. Jordan wrote that the pontiff had been told beforehand that Melania Trump spoke Italian, and addressed her accordingly through his interpreter. Instead of responding in Italian, Melania Trump replied in English, saying: 'Thank you. Nice to meet you.'

The exchange became more widely discussed when Pope Francis made a light-hearted reference to Melania Trump's Slovenian heritage, asking in Spanish whether she fed her husband potica, a traditional Slovenian cake. According to Jordan's account, Melania Trump initially appeared unsure how to respond. 'She looked at him and said nothing,' the author wrote. Only after a Vatican interpreter translated the question into English did Melania Trump respond with a smile, replying: 'Potica, yes!'

The moment has since been widely cited as appearing to contradict the idea that she comfortably speaks multiple European languages.

Despite responding primarily in English during the meeting, Melania Trump did use a handful of Italian words throughout the conversation. When a papal aide handed her a rosary for Pope Francis to bless, she replied: 'Oh, I would love it, thank you. Grazie.' She later mentioned she would visit a children's hospital, saying she planned to go 'for bambinos.' These brief phrases suggested some familiarity with Italian vocabulary, yet the conversation itself largely took place in English.

Mary Jordan's biography went further, suggesting the story behind Melania Trump's language abilities may be more complicated. While researching the book, Jordan said she struggled to find clear evidence of Melania Trump speaking multiple languages fluently in public. 'I couldn't find any videos showing her fluency in anything other than Slovenian and English,' Jordan wrote. She added that requests to the White House asking for examples or confirmation of her language skills received no response. The findings intensified speculation about whether the claim that Melania Trump speaks six languages may have been exaggerated.

Source: International Business Times UK