Exclusive: Melania's Friend Knew How She Really Met Trump. Then the White House Deported Her.

Exclusive: Melania's Friend Knew How She Really Met Trump. Then the White House Deported Her.

From Narativ with Zev Shalev (Audio) by Zev Shalev

June 12, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

Amanda Ungaro shares her experiences with Melania and Donald Trump, detailing her deportation and the lack of support from the First Lady.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narativ.org Amanda Ungaro spent twenty years inside the world the Melania and Donald Trump. in her first live interview since the Trump administration deported her, she walked Zev through it — the plane, the agencies, the United Nations passport trade, and a First Lady she says watched it all happen - and did nothing to stop it. The Abandonment For nearly two decades, Ungaro and Zampolli were one of only two couples at Melania’s table — White House Easters, Christmases, New Years. Melania was the first to call Ungaro’s son Giovanni every birthday, 7 AM, Secret Service arriving with presents. When Ungaro was taken — ten police breaking into her Miami home in an arrest she says Zampolli orchestrated through an ICE contact who has since been promoted — she got word to the First Lady and asked for help. “She looked like she was in shock, but she didn’t do anything,” Ungaro said. Three and a half months in detention. A prosecutor who tried twice to convert it into prison time; an email found by her son in which Zampolli wrote she should serve six years. “She knows me since I’m 18 years old. She knows who Paolo is. For…

People in this episode

Host: Zev Shalev

Guest: Amanda Ungaro

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ICE, United Nations

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