During the Trumps’ visit to Israel, Melania made a conspicuous gesture by rejecting her husband’s attempt to hold her hand. Arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in 2017 to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, former President Trump reached out for Melania’s hand as they walked across the tarmac. Melania, however, swiftly swatted his hand away, a moment that garnered significant attention.

In the years following this public incident, it became a recurring topic on social media and a source of humor among critics of the Trump administration. People referred to Melania’s hand swat as a memorable incident. Even in January 2021, as Trump left office, some reminisced about it on Twitter.

While many viewed the hand swat as a sign of marital discord, others downplayed its significance, suggesting that it was overanalyzed. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a close associate of Melania, defended her actions, emphasizing Melania’s private and dignified nature. Wolkoff explained that Melania was not inclined to engage in public displays of affection.

However, Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former chief of staff, provided new insights in her book, “I’ll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House.” Grisham revealed that Melania swatted Trump’s hand away during the Israeli visit because she believed it was against protocol to hold hands at such a formal ceremony. According to Grisham, Melania’s adherence to protocol clashed with Trump’s occasional attempts to hold her hand for the camera’s sake.