7 Eccentric Things an Ex-Aide Has Revealed About Donald and Melania Trump: “A Freaking Basket Case”

7 Major Revelations From the Book Melania and Me

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, joined the Donald Trump White House only to later distance herself. Subsequently, she chose to pen a book detailing her experiences, titled Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady. Wolkoff writes, “I witnessed the transformation of Melania from gold plate to 24-karat gold... and seeing that only the gold shell remains, I have to wonder if that’s all she ever was." Here's a glimpse into what readers can expect to learn from the stirring work.

1. Melania Trump Doesn’t Care

Wolkoff revealed one of the statements that Melania Trump had once said, “Pleasing anyone else is not my priority.” Wolkoff wrote, “Ever the pragmatist, she reasoned that since she had no control over people’s thoughts, why should she care what they believed.” One such instance was during the peak of the family separation crisis in 2018. During that time, Melania expressed her dismay at the media's coverage of children being separated from their parents, according to the New York Times. During a phone call with Wolkoff, Melania said, “They’re not with their parents, and it’s sad. But the patrols told me the kids say, ‘Wow, I get a bed? I will have a cabinet for my clothes?’ It’s more than they have in their own country, where they sleep on the floor.”

2. Malenia Made Sure Ivanka Trump Wasn’t in the Spotlight

Wolkoff reveals startling insights into the well-known rivalry between the former first lady and her stepdaughter, Ivanka Trump. She recounts a petty episode with Melania, where they attempted to ensure Ivanka was excluded from the best photo opportunities during Inauguration Day in 2016, as detailed by PEOPLE magazine. Wolkoff wrote, “Melania was not thrilled about Ivanka steering the schedule and would not allow it. Neither was she happy to hear that Ivanka insisted on walking in the Pennsylvania Avenue parade with her children.” Ivanka's efforts to steal the limelight were brushed aside.

3. The Beginning of #FreeMelania

After a video surfaced showing Melania appearing to be sad at Donald's inauguration, it quickly became a meme and a hashtag. The notion behind it was that Melania was a reluctant participant in her husband's administration, deserving of sympathy and freedom, rather than criticism, as Vox reported. Wolkoff said, “Melania suddenly frowned and looked down and to her right because Barron had kicked her in the ankle by accident.” Wolkoff proposed that she clarify things to stop rumors about marital issues, but the first lady responded that she doesn't need to explain herself to anyone.

4. Melania Wanted to Get the White House Renovated

Just like anyone adding final touches to their home, Melania had a few new features to display when guests attended only the second state dinner of Donald's presidency in September 2019, according to Business Insider. Wolkoff also recalls Melania saying, “I’m not moving to D.C. until the residence has been renovated and redecorated, starting with a new shower and toilet.” In the end, she chose Middleton Pink for her office, but her preference for an ivory shade in the bedroom was overridden by the president, who opted for a darker tone.

5. Donald Doesn't Like His Plate Touched By a Friend

In the Mar-a-Lago restaurant, the president had his sights set on a substantial slice of chocolate cake. Wolkoff wrote in her book, “I handed him an empty plate, my fingers on the bottom and my thumb on the top edge, a perfectly natural and normal way to hand someone a plate. He stared at my thumb as if it were on fire." She added, “He beamed at me as he took the plate and then when he thought I wasn’t looking, he put it down and got another.”

6. Melania Gives Her Opinion to Donald

Despite the ongoing events, Melania continues to support her husband and has even engaged in some light campaigning for his presidential election bid. However, Wolkoff points out two occasions when Melania disagreed with the president. The first instance was regarding bathrooms for transgender individuals. Melania questioned Donald about why he got involved in the discussion. Wolkoff reveals that he said, “I didn’t need to get involved. I could have let the Supreme Court deal with it. But it was very important to Mike." Subsequently, Melania scolds Donald for reversing the ban on importing big-game trophies from Africa.

7. Melania Disappeared From Public View

Over 20 days had passed since the public had seen the first lady Melania in 2018, according to CNN. This absence was due to Melania undergoing surgery for a benign kidney condition. Wolkoff had already been let go from the East Wing by this time, but she recounts a phone call in which Melania laughed at the media's speculation about her whereabouts. Wolkoff recalls Melania saying, “‘Facelift? I’m too scared!’ she said. ‘Nervous breakdown? I’m like, seriously? They don’t even know me.’”