Melania Trump reveals what really happened during that infamous hand swatting moment

Melania Trump has addressed the infamous moment she appeared to swat Donald Trump away when he tried to hold her hand in public.

During a visit to Tel Aviv in May 2017, the then-first lady was caught on camera batting her husband’s hand away while they walked along the red carpet.

The incident hit headlines and led to widespread speculation about the state of their marriage.

In her memoir, out on Tuesday, Melania seekss to dispel some of the rumors about her marriage to Trump and brushes off the incident as “a mere misunderstanding” thanks to the media and “gossipmongers.”

“As we walked down the red carpet, I gently waved away his attempt to hold my hand,” Melania recalls.

“The media labeled it as a ‘swat’ and used it as supposed evidence of martial discord. This false narrative had been perpetuated since the beginning of the campaign, and it was disheartening to see how eager people were to believe in it.”

Melania says the couple had beengreeted at the airport byPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who she refers to as Bibi in the book –  and his wife Sara.

Instead of shunning her husband, Melania claims that there was simply not enough space for all four of them to walk in a row.

“Protocol demanded that the president and prime minister walk side by side, with their spouses trailing behind,” Melania explains.

“Yet, unforeseen circumstances led to a slight deviation from the norm. Bibi ended up holding his wife’s hand, and my husband walked beside them – three abreast. The red carpet simply could not accommodate all four of us abreast.”

Despite her claims about space, footage of the moment shows Melania did continue to walk alongside her husband after hitting his hand away.

She adds that she “opted” to walk behind,