By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-23 03:31:48 | Updated at 2025-01-23 05:51:04
2 hours ago
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump marked 20 years of marriage Wednesday.
The first couple celebrated their 'China' wedding annivesary, as it's referred to, by settling into the White House for the second time and with Trump sharing a vintage picture of the couple on their wedding day to his X account.
'Happy 20th Anniversary to Melania!' he wrote.
Their wedding, the president's third, took place on January 22, 2005 and was held at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with a reception at Mar-a-Lago.
The guest list included notably one of Trump's top political rivals - Hillary Clinton, who attended alongside her husband, President Bill Clinton.
On Monday Trump commended Bill Clinton's political sense when asked which living former president he would take advice from.
The Democratic ex-president had warned wife Hillary, a former first lady, senator and secretary of State, that she looked weak in 'blue wall' states including Michigan and Wisconsin, in her 2016 match-up against Trump, which he won.
Another top political guest was Republican former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who went on to become Trump's election lawyer during the 2020 race.
President Donald Trump (right) shared a picture of his wedding with first lady Melania Trump (right) to Twitter on Wednesday, marking their 20th anniversary
Melania Trump (left) waves as she departs the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church after marrying Donald Trump (right) 20 years ago Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida
Then Apprentice star and real estate developer Donald Trump is seen in front of Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church during a wedding rehearsal on January 21, 2005
Giuliani remains a prominent political ally of Trump and lives nearby Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Judge Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News personality and Trump political ally, was at the wedding 20 years ago.
She also attended this weekend's inauguration festivities - including dancing onstage to a live Village People performance at Turning Point USA's pre-inauguration gala.
The late Barbara Walters attended Trump's wedding, as did disgraced anchor Matt Lauer, who suffered a 2017 sex scandal, removing him from the air.
Other media stars in attendance included Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, Kelly Ripa, with husband, actor and co-anchor Mark Consuelos, Kathie Lee Gifford, with her late husband Frank, as well as Star Jones.
From the world of music, the late Tony Bennett was on hand, as was Billy Joel, with his then-wife Katie Lee.
Rap mogul Russell Simmons attended with his wife Kimora Lee Simmons.
Disgraced Today Show anchor Matt Lauer (left) waves as he arrives at President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump's 2005 wedding. The late Barbara Walters appears to blow a kiss as she arrives
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (right), who later became Trump's election lawyer, attended Donald and Melania's 2005 with then-wife Judith (left)
Crooner Billy Joel (right) is photographed arriving at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida alongside then-wife Katie Lee (left)
The late Tony Bennet waves as he arrived at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church for the wedding of Donald and Melania Trump 20 years ago
Kelly Ripa (left) attended the wedding of Donald and Melania Trump in 2005 with husband Mark Consuelos, while Kathie Lee Gifford (right) brought her now late husband Frank
Heidi Klum waved as she entered the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church for the wedding of Donald and Melania Trump on January 22, 2005
Other prominent media types at Donald and Melania's wedding in 2005 included morning show darling Katie Couric (left) and MSNBC's Chris Matthews (right)
Russell Simmons (left) and Kimora Lee Simmons (right) arrive at the future president and first lady's 2005 wedding in Palm Beach, Florida
Model and Project Runway host Heidi Klum dazzled in a floral dress.
Other guests, according to the Palm Beach Post, included Mohamed Al-Fayed, the father of Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi Fayed, CBS Mornings' Gayle King, U.S. News & World Report owner Mort Zuckerman, Inside Edition's Deborah Norville, magazine editor Tina Brown and America's Got Talent host Simon Cowell.
Boxing promoter Don King was on hand.
He continues to be a friend of the president and attanded Trump's New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago welcoming in this year.
Apprentice creator Mark Burnett was also a guest.
The Trumps' 2005 wedding came a year into the now president's Apprentice fame - elevating Trump from a well-known real estate developer to an entertainer as well.
Trump maintained many friends in the media during The Apprentice years - but that kinship eroded as he moved closer to the political world.
He was a vocal critic of Democratic President Barack Obama and pushed the so-called 'birther' theory, which questioned Obama's legitimacy as a U.S. citizen.
Trump started appearing at CPACs - the annual Conservative Political Action Conference - and officially entered politics in June 2015.
During his first term in office, he was largely shunned by Hollywood and prominent members of the media, with the exception of Fox News and a handful of known-conservative celebrities.
