Melania Trump's Former Aide Notes Telling Change In The Way Donald Treats His Wife
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Rumors have been swirling that Donald and Melania Trump's marriage might be on the rocks, and now the one-time friend of the former first lady is adding fresh hot water to the tea.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff was once Melania's aide as well as her close confidant, but that friendship met an abrupt end in 2018 amid allegations she had personally profited from the 2016 inauguration, which she produced. Refuting those claims, Wolkoff fought back with her own accusations of misconduct within the administration, along with a tell-all memoir, "Melania and Me." Since then, the business consultant has delighted in pointing out the alleged flaws and deceptions of the family on social media, including revelations about Melania's true (and harsh) feelings toward Ivanka Trump, her stepdaughter. But Wolkoff's latest jab was at the state of the Trump marriage.
"Let me bottom line this for you," Wolkoff said bluntly in a March 10 tweet on X (formerly Twitter). "Perception is everything to the Trump Family so Donald's lack of 'chivalry' towards Melania is quite a 'tell.'" The post included a video montage of the former first couple entering various events at Mar-a-Lago over a period of time. The earlier clips — such as one from New Year's Eve 2022 — show them walking either hand in hand, or with Donald letting Melania enter first. More recent snippets, such as the February 2024 Mar-a-Lago Trumpettes gala, find the former president striding ahead of his wife without so much as a backward glance.
Donald Trump has often been less than courteous toward his wife
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's online montage on X was intended to show an apparent cooling of relations between Donald and Melania Trump. Many followers agreed the former president was being disrespectful by walking ahead of his wife instead of holding her hand or letting her lead. One commenter said, "He has to be front and center at all times. It must be exhausting being with someone like that."
Still, other replies pointed out this behavior is hardly new for the former president. There are past clips of moments during the administration where Donald was equally unchivalrous. One 2018 video from The Independent shows the couple in the rain; Trump held a large umbrella over his own head without shielding Melania from the weather. Others pointed out his conduct on his inauguration day: "Remember the day he was sworn in as POTUS?" asked one. "He got out of the car and was halfway up the stairs [of the White House] before Melania was even out. The President & Michelle Obama waited for her and escorted her up the stairs."
None of this will likely make a difference in the Trumps' relationship. There are many possible reasons Donald and Melania Trump are staying together, and Melania isn't the type to raise a fuss over being left a few paces behind. Wolkoff's book (per Amazon) praises her unshakable calm and ability to weather any crisis: "Melania? Don't worry about her! She's fine."