Melania Trump defends her nude modeling: 'We should honor our bodies'

• Melania Trump is defending her past work as a nude model.
• She asked whether we're "no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body."

Melania Trump, the wife of former President Donald Trump and an ex-model, is publicly addressing her past work as a nude model.

In a brief clip posted to X on Wednesday promoting her upcoming memoir, a carousel of paintings and sculptures depicting the nude human form flash across the screen, with a voiceover from the former first lady.

"Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work? The more pressing question is: Why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot?" Trump said. "Are we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body?"

"Throughout history, master artists have revered the human shape, evoking profound emotions and admiration," she continued. "We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self-expression."

The clip may be an excerpt from her forthcoming memoir, "Melania," which is set to be released on October 8.

The former first lady notably posed nude on Trump's Boeing 727 plane in January 2000.

She also posed nude for a French magazine in 1996. As Trump ran for president in 2016, The New York Post resurfaced those photos.

Aside from an appearance at the Republican National Convention in July, the former first lady has largely avoided the campaign trail as Trump campaigns for the White House for the third time.

But she's occasionally waded into politics as well. In another recent clip promoting her book, Melania Trump suggested that there was a conspiracy behind her husband's attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"There is definitely more to this story, and we need to uncover the truth," the first lady said.