Donald & Melania Trump's Marriage Is A Mess When They Think Cameras Aren't Watching

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Anyone who's been paying attention knows something is definitely up with Donald Trump and Melania Trump's marriage. One would have to be blind to miss it. What goes on behind closed doors tends to translate to the public sphere, and eagle-eyed pundits are wagering that Donald and Melania's marriage might be on the rocks. Those who have been keeping an eye on the first couple since the divisive politician's first term will know that Melania has repeatedly snubbed Donald's PDA efforts. Remember that memorable 2017 hand slap from the first lady, in Israel? The moment made headlines, and for good reason. 

The couple's body language hasn't changed much since. During the 2025 White House Halloween festivities, Melania was once again caught ignoring her husband's attempts to take hold of her hand. In footage from the event, the president reaches for his wife but he's left grasping thin air. Then there's the off-handed comment Donald made about French President Emmanuel Macron and his own wife, Brigitte Macron, who were caught in what appeared to be a heated lover's spat shortly before exiting their airplane in May 2025. 

Brigitte, who was out of shot at the time, was seen shoving her hand into her husband's face. Donald was asked about the viral clip at an Oval Office press briefing by a reporter, who wanted to know if the president had some advice for his French counterpart. "Make sure the door remains closed," he quipped (via X, formerly known as Twitter). The Trumps have thus far managed to work out their issues privately, but there's plenty of scuttlebutt indicating Melania and Donald's marriage is a mess when the cameras aren't watching.

Couples who share a bedroom stick together, right? Er, not if you're Donald and Melania Trump. It appears the two can only stand each other in limited quantities, so sleeping in the same room is totally out of the question. There have long been whispers that the first couple don't share a bed, and this rumor apparently refuses to die. In her book, "Free, Melania: The Unauthorized Biography," CNN correspondent Katie Bennett confirmed that the scuttlebutt has some truth to it, adding that, aside from having separate sleeping quarters, the president and first lady don't even sleep on the same floor of the White House. Donald made his home in the master bedroom on the second floor while Melania opted for a bedroom on the third floor. 

First Lady historian Kate Andersen Brower acknowledged to People that it's a rather strange arrangement, surmising, "I believe it's unusual now to have a separate room from your husband. I think that says a lot [about the Trumps]," (via Express). Likewise, former Playmate Karen McDougal, who allegedly had an affair with the president not long after he married Melania in 2005 (no wonder the first lady doesn't want to share a bedroom with her hubby!), also confirmed that the longtime couple sleeps separately. 

Evidently, this arrangement preceded the White House, since McDougal outlined the details of her affair in a handwritten document, which was eventually obtained by the New Yorker. Playmate executives reportedly noticed Donald's flirtatious behavior towards her, even joking that she might become the next Mrs. Trump. It was as Donald was giving his alleged mistress a tour of Trump Tower that he pointed out Melania's bedroom. "[He] said she liked her space to read or be alone," McDougal wrote in her recollection.

Bedrooms aren't the only thing the Trumps keep separate in their marriage; apparently, their lives follow the same trend. Speaking to the Daily Beast podcast, Trump biographer Michael Wolff indicated that Melania and Donald Trump's marriage has long been over — it just hasn't been made official on paper yet. "They clearly do not inhabit a marriage as we define marriage," he asserted. "They live separate lives. They are separated." Wolff also claimed that the first couple rarely speak to each other and "the marriage is crumbling."

He isn't the only one claiming that Donald and Melania are, for all intents and purposes, estranged. Insiders dished to The Mirror in April 2023 that, even though both parties were currently living in Mar-a-Lago at the time, they rarely actually spent any time in each other's company. "Their paths barely cross," the source alleged, insinuating that this was, in part, due to Donald's court case pertaining to the hush money payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, to remain quiet about their alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential elections. "Melania is no different to any woman. Having her husband accused of cheating on her not just once but twice is extremely disturbing," the insider argued.

Donald Trump's marriage to Melania Trump reportedly has White House staffers talking behind their backs, and it's no wonder — even the late Queen Elizabeth II felt that something was a bit off with them. In Craig Brown's book "Q: A Voyage Around The Queen," he noted that the Trumps' relationship raised Her Majesty's eyebrows, and that, after hosting the controversial politician at Buckingham Palace, she judged Donald to be "very rude," and wondered at Melania's ability to put up with him. Ultimately, the late monarch came to the conclusion that they "must have some sort of arrangement." 

She wasn't wrong, according to Melania's former senior advisor and best friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who shed some light on what the Trumps' marriage is really like behind the scenes. She even described it as "transactional" during a 2020 interview with the BBC's "Newsnight." "I do believe it's a transactional marriage," Wolkoff opined at the time. "Donald got arm candy [...] and Melania got two dynamic decades [as a model]."

It might be safe to say that, when it came to raising their son, Barron Trump, Donald and Melania Trump didn't exactly tag team. During a May 2005 interview with "Larry King Live," only a few months after their wedding, the happy couple talked about the prospect of having kids, and the future president made it clear that if they did, he wouldn't exactly be a hands-on father. "Now, I know Melania. I'm not going to be doing the diapers. I'm not going to be making the food. I may never even see the kids," Donald mused. "She will be an unbelievable mother. I'll be a good father." The former model also let slip that her husband was "working all the time," telling King, "You know, Saturday, Sundays, he's playing golf." She insisted it wasn't an issue in their relationship, however. 

Donald, meanwhile, basically admitted he wasn't putting much effort into his marriage. "I work very hard from early in the morning till late in the evening. I don't want to go home and work at a relationship," he said. "A relationship where you have to work at it, in my opinion, doesn't work." The former "Apprentice" host seemingly made good on his promise that he wouldn't do much parenting. During a 2019 press briefing, the president accidentally referred to Barron as "Melania's son" before quickly correcting course. He appears to know very little about his son's personal life either. When he discusses Barron in interviews, Donald always notes his son's looks and smarts. When it comes to more personal details, like Barron's dating life, the president knows very little.