Stephen Colbert reveals bewilderment at Melania Trump bringing up nude modeling photos

The former first lady posed for the nude photos on her now-husband’s private jet in 2000

Stephen Colbert made his bewilderment clear to audience members and viewers on the latest episode of his talk show after Melania Trump posted a video bizarrely highlighting her nude photos from her modeling days.

“Trump’s struggling campaign needs all the help it can get to stay on message these days,” explained The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host on Wednesday.

“Thankfully, Melania Trump - who has been notably absent from her husband’s side - pitched in with this video,” he added, before playing a segment of a clip posted by the former first lady to X on Wednesday.

With a background of dramatic string music, the former model asked, “Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work?”

“I’m sorry?” Colbert asked while trying not to laugh. “I’m sorry, what’s happening? Why would you ask that?”

”No one- absolutely no one is talking about your nude modeling!” he exclaimed.

Making reference to her self-titled book set to hit shelves on September 24, he added “I know you got a new memoir coming out and you’re trying to get attention but America is facing a far more pressing question!”

Cutting back to the video, Melania continues:

“The more pressing question is why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot?”

“Ah yes,” Colbert said as his audience laughed, “the thing the media is definitely scrutinizing - the 24-year-old naked photo shoot of Melania on Trump’s plane.”

Stephen Colbert was left baffled after Melania brought up her own nude modelling photos in an X post on Wednesday (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

After cracking a play-on-words about her “Be Best” campaign when her husband, Donald Trump, was president, Colbert says, “Melania’s courage to bring up her old nudes, when absolutely no one was talking about them has inspired me to come forward with my own titillating photoshoot.”

Melania Trump (then Knauss) with her now-husband Donald Trump at the 2001 Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, the year after her nude photos were in British GQ (Chris Weeks/Getty)

Holding up his recipe book, which came out on Tuesday, he says, “It’s in my book, Does this Taste Funny?, written with my wife Eve.”

“I want to warn everyone - if there are children at home I want to warn you: it contains full frontal feet. Okay?”

“Wikifeet, you’re welcome,” he added.

Melania posed for the photos (taken by French photographer Antoine Verglas) in 2000 on the private jet of her then-boyfriend, Trump.

The photos appeared in British GQ, with Verglas telling ABC News during the 2016 presidential campaign that he had rejected offers worth “tens of thousands of dollars” to license his work to other magazines.

Drawing a comparison between her photographs and famous nude art, such as Michelangelo’s “David” and John Collier’s “Lady Godiva”, the clip is dotted with iconic paintings and sculptures as Melania said, “We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self-expression.”

Melania has been making very few public appearances this year as her husband campaigns to be re-elected to the White House, instead mostly making headlines for her slightly odd social media posts