Donald Trump paid tribute to his late mother-in-law, Amalija Knavs, who passed away at 78, on his social media platform. Describing it as “a very sad night for the entire Trump family,” he lauded Knavs as a “great and beautiful mother” and “an incredible woman,” accompanying his message with a photo of them together.

Melania Trump announced the news with “deep sadness” on Twitter/X, following Trump’s earlier mention of Knavs’ serious illness during a New Year’s event.Amalija and her husband Viktor were close to the Trumps, living in New York and occasionally at the White House during Trump’s presidency.

Born in Austria, raised in Slovenia, and working in a textile factory, Knavs moved to the U.S. and obtained citizenship in 2018. She and Viktor had two daughters, Ines and Melania, the latter marrying Donald Trump in 2005