Donald Trump has paid tribute to his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs, who passed away on Tuesday.
The 78-year-old was mother to former first lady Melania Trump, the business mogul's wife of 19 years.
The former president expressed his sadness on social media, calling Knavs as "an incredible woman."
"This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!!" the 77-year-old wrote on Truth Social. "Melania's great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words!"
He also shared a photo of himself with Knavs, describing her as "Melania's great mother."
Melania Trump missed the Christmas celebrations at her husband's Mar-a-Lago resort to be with her ailing mother in hospital. On Tuesday, the former model announced her mother's passing on social media, but did not reveal a cause of death.
"It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,' the 53-year-old said on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.
"Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity.
"She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy."
Knavs' illness was discovered following speculation surrounding Melania Trump's whereabouts during the festive season.
She was noticeably absent from the Trump family holiday gathering, with social media users wondering why she was missing from the Christmas photos. However, her father Viktor Knavs, was in attendance.
A source told Fox News Digital on December 27 that Melania Trump was with her sick mother at the hospital.
"Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family," the insider said. "It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother."
Trump explained his wife's absence to Mar-a-Lago party-goers, describing the circumstances as "very tough."
"Her mother, Amalija, is very ill, but hopefully she'll be recovering," he said. "I just want to say 'hello' to the First Lady—we just spoke, down in Miami, great hospital—and hopefully they'll be OK, but it's a tough one, it's a very tough one.
"So she sends her love to everybody and she knows probably about 95 percent of the people here like I do. And we just want to wish Amalija that she gets better as quickly as possible."
Update 01/10/24, 04:07 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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