Melania Trump's dad Viktor Knavs is surprisingly closer in age to her husband Donald than you might think

WASHINGTON, DC: If you’ve ever wondered why Melania Trump and her dad Viktor Knavs seem super close, you’re not alone. 

The bond between the First Lady and her father has always been strong. When Melania made her big move into the White House for the first time in June 2017, Viktor and his late wife Amalija Knavs were right there with her. 

The couple settled into the same suite that once housed former first lady Michelle Obama's mother.

Over the years, Viktor has become something of a fixture at Trump events. Whether it was the nail-biting election night in November when Donald Trump declared victory yet again or the grand spectacle of his inauguration, Viktor was front and center. He’s been spotted at multiple presidential festivities, blending right in with the Trump empire.

Donald Trump and Viktor Knavs have a tiny age gap

Melania’s husband, President Donald Trump, isn’t just close with Viktor because of family ties. The two are practically contemporaries, with Knavs only two years older than his famous son-in-law.

Viktor hit the big 8-0 in March last year, while Donald trailed closely behind as he turned 78 just a few months later. 

According to a source who spoke to GQ back in 2016, Melania may have been drawn to Trump because of the whole father-figure dynamic. "It's about all that power and protection," the insider dished. "I think she needed a strong man, a father figure." 

And with their nearly three-decade age gap, Melania and Donald easily rank among the most mismatched president and first lady pairs in history (at least in terms of age).

But the parallels between Donald and Viktor don’t stop at age. In fact, they share so many similarities that it's kind of uncanny. Speaking to GQ in 2016, Melania herself pointed out just how alike the two men really are.

"They're both hardworking," she said, before adding, "They're both very smart and very capable. They grew up in totally different environments, but they have the same values, they have the same tradition...He is a family man, he has tradition, he was hardworking. So is my husband."

And while their upbringings were worlds apart—Trump in the glitz of New York real estate and Knavs in Slovenia—they both built reputations as ambitious, no-nonsense businessmen. 

Viktor once worked for the mayor of Hrastnik before pivoting to a career as a salesman for a state-owned car company. 

Donald Trump and Viktor Knavs are golf buddies and luxury enthusiasts

Donald Trump and Viktor Knavs don’t just think alike; they also play alike. Both men are obsessed with golf, and the father-in-law-son-in-law duo has even been spotted hitting the green together.

And golf isn't the only luxury they share a passion for. Viktor has long had a taste for the finer things in life, something one of his longtime friends pointed out in GQ. Apparently, he’s a man who appreciates "good food" and sleek cars—just like Trump.

Melania’s childhood friend Mirjana Jelancic recalled that back in Slovenia, Viktor was absolutely devoted to his prized antique Mercedes. Every Saturday, he’d be outside, meticulously washing it like some sort of weekly ritual. 

“It was like a ritual,” Jelancic said.

And for those who know him best, the Trump-Knavs resemblance is impossible to ignore. "Trump reminds me of Viktor," Knavs’ old friend Tomaz Jeraj told GQ. "He’s a salesman. He has business in his veins."

And if anyone needs even more proof that these two are basically cut from the same cloth, look no further than New Year’s Eve. 

In a video posted by Donald Trump Jr, Melania, Donald, and Viktor were seen dancing to 'YMCA' by The Village People. Dancing, in this case, means that loose, awkward, slightly robotic movement that both men appear to have mastered.

Nicki Swift noted that their dance moves were practically identical.