Melania Trump ‘lives in an ivory tower of denial… this is a transactional marriage’

Shortly after Donald Trump’s Tuesday arraignment, he flew back to Florida and gave an unhinged speech at Mar-a-Lago. His supporters were there, his lawyers were presumably there and of course the media was there, feeding on all of the MAGAness. But two people were notably absent: Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump. Ivanka is desperately trying to separate herself from all things Diaper Don. Melania just doesn’t give a sh-t. Meaning, it’s not even like Melania is making an effort to distance herself. The distance was already there. The ambivalence was already there. Melania is just… going to the spa and spending time with her parents. Donald Trump didn’t even thank his wife during his speech. Well, now Stephanie Winston Wolkoff – who used to work for Melania until the Trumps turned on her – has some sh-t to say about what Melania thinks about all of this mess.

Former Melania aide and best friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff — who previously revealed the former first lady privately referred to Daniels as “the porn hooker” — told Page Six, “Melania lives in an ivory tower of denial.”

Wolkoff, a former senior Vogue staffer who was Melania’s advisor until 2018, said of the former first lady’s absence at Mar-a-Lago’s ballroom, “I never expected to see her there. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor. Of course she knows about Donald’s affairs, she knows everything. But her silence is her dignity. She will stand by her husband, as she always does. I don’t think Melania is humiliated by his affairs — but she is angry.”

But that doesn’t mean she’s going anywhere. “Still she isn’t leaving him,” Wolkoff added. “This is a transactional marriage, she knew what she was getting into when she married Donald. Her means of survival is to just act like it never happened. Privately, Melania says people are just jealous, and she hoped the Stormy Daniels scandal would be swept under the carpet. Her way of coping is to never let her feelings show or affect her. I predict we will see her back at his side at the next social event at Mar-a-Lago.”

Wolkoff added Melania would go to great lengths to avoid situations where she might be quizzed by the media about her husband: “Melania believes she doesn’t have to answer or explain herself to anyone, so she’s not going to put herself in that position.”

Wolkoff also writes in her tell-all memoir, “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady,” about how “I’d known all along how impenetrable and unflappable she was, but it wasn’t until after hearing the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape or about the affairs, I had no idea of her grit.

“Not many people could bear having their lives ripped open and all their regretful, hateful, humiliating moments splayed out for the world to see and judge. Melania and Donald, a perfect match, could tolerate any amount of ridicule and flick it aside. I always interpreted that as her resigning herself to an unconventional marriage or household and having no expectations of Donald as a faithful husband or doting father.”

[From Page Six]

I’m obviously no fan of Melania and I think she’s just as much of an idiot and loser as her husband. But… out of all of her options, Melania is kind of choosing the right one for her, in her situation? Gritty silence isn’t what most women would choose, but I can totally understand why it’s the right choice for Mel. She doesn’t care about her husband, she isn’t his moral support and she refuses to make an effort at anything. So, why would she change an arrangement which suits her just fine? She lounges around Mar-a-Lago, she pampers herself, she spends time with her son and her parents and nothing can rock that boat. Now, Melania is absolutely humiliated. But she’s willing to swallow that every day to keep her lifestyle.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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55 Responses to “Melania Trump ‘lives in an ivory tower of denial… this is a transactional marriage’”

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  1. LadyE says:

    In this general situation of a husband publicly dealing with an affair, I have a blanket policy of absolutely no judgment on how a spouse/partner chooses to react. Marriage is fucking complicated and way too personal for any outsider to judge in my view. I respect Hillary’s choice, respect Mark Sanford’s wife’s choice, and respect Melania’s choice on this specific issue. More broadly, I’m not interested in judging how the spouse/partner reacts to infidelity- I leave the judgment for the cheating person and for that I have plenty!

    • Bellah says:

      Agreed. For all we know, this may have been a condition of their marriage. She played the role of trophy wife and looked the other way as long as he remained discreet. One would be surprised at how many wealthy NY couples operate in the manner.

      • Brassy Rebel says:

        Except Trump’s been anything but discreet. So that can’t be a condition of the arrangement–if that’s what it is. I totally agree 💯 that what goes on in a marriage is no one’s business but the two people in it. People who say Hillary should have left Bill are dead to me.

      • Sms says:

        I doubt she cares beyond finding it tacky and good on her for refusing to play the forgiving spouse in public. That’s so hideous and old fashioned.
        Anyhow wasn’t she rumored to have a long standing relationship with someone at Tiffany’s. I think it was the head of security.

    • ScorpioMoon says:

      Yeah, I support this approach. I’m no fan of Trump or Melania, but I generally think it sucks to start judging or attacking the spouse in these kinds of scenarios. We’re so used to public figures taking to social media or giving a big interview to share their narratives in situations like this that we’ve grown accustomed to it. But some do find solace in staying silent publicly, and regardless of the reasons why, I think that’s valid. In Trump’s case, the legality of everything that happened is a matter of public interest and that certainly warrants questions/deeper digging from journalists, but Melania (regardless of how you feel about her or view her motives) has a right to privacy here, as does Baron.

      • C says:

        No , honestly, I want every adult in this family investigated. I want their lives blown open and shattered the way they’ve shattered this country. Sorry, not sorry.

      • BeanieBean says:

        I’m with you, C. I have zero respect for any of the trumps for any reason whatsoever, not after what they did to this country & continue to do. Nope. No respect, no sympathy.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Agree @C. Melania is not living in denial. At all. I will feel bad for her as much as I feel bad for Kate Middleton. Not at all. Children yes. Trump is and always has been a terrible, horrible shell of a human.

    • Josephine says:

      Sorry, but this isn’t just a guy who cheats on his wife. This man is a sickness so no, I don’t understand staying married to a man like this. To me, it’s like being the partner of evil and justifying it because you get pretty things. Her staying next to him is part of what allowed him to be elected. So no pass from me.

      • nisa says:

        Agree. I feel like at some point it goes from excusing behavior the person finds objectionable that impacts them alone (like infidelity between consenting adults) and veers into Georgina Chapman “if she had stayed” territory. Maybe illegal payoffs to cover up affairs aren’t enough. Is being tried for treason? Or rape? Because that is what’s coming. At some point she’s complicit.

      • SquiddusMaximus says:

        It’s interesting how people twist themselves into pretzels trying to find a way find humanize or empathize with this woman. But as much as it offends every sense of decency for US to bear the continued existence of that human excrement, the simplest solution is usually true:

        She doesn’t find him contemptible. She is just as racist, bigoted, selfish, and stupid as the other turds who have stuck by him. Roger Stone. Rudy. The MyPillow Guy.

        We’re all physiologically programmed to assume women are more nurturing, but women can be serial killers, too.

        She doesn’t give a $hit about anyone but herself, and she likes what she’s getting out of this relationship. And Barron will grow into his Narcissistic Personality Disorder just like his brothers and father before him.

    • Fabiola says:

      I think the best thing she can do is be silent. Why does she have to publicly scream and cry just for the public’s entertainment? She knew what she was getting into.

  2. Nikki says:

    I don’t think she is humiliated at all, and I don’t think any woman should feel humiliated if her partner cheats. Angry and betrayed, yes, but no one should feel humiliated at her partner’s poor choices. A cheater will cheat no matter how lovely – inside and out – his partner is. But this was never a love match, and I just don’t think she cares! I DO wonder if she feels protective of Barron, if this affects him, but it’s not like she can do anything about it. Honestly, even the picture where he’s kissing her chastely absolutely revolts me. I’d have to be starving to death to let him near me.

    • Bee says:

      “Kissing her chastely” is generous. He has no idea what he’s doing. As usual! She’s probably avoiding an actual kiss.

    • ScorpioMoon says:

      It’s always seemed clear to me that the one person Melania does care about here is Baron. I have to imagine she is very protective of him; she seems like the only parent who is actively involved with him. I’d even be willing to take a step further and suggest that maybe part of why Melania stays quiet is to maintain this arrangement for Baron’s sake too. Maybe she knows things we don’t about Marla and Tiffany, or what have you, and she thinks there’s more to be gained strategically for Baron by standing by Trump and maintaining her silence. Just my two cents.

      • Robert Phillips says:

        Has she not figured out that Trump Industries is going down this year. That all his holdings will probably be frozen. And that all the other indictments against him will start happening soon. And that she needs to divorce him before all the money is gone and she gets nothing.

    • bisynaptic says:

      This.

  3. Sue E Generis says:

    I mean, what else is Mel gonna do? She’s too old to be a trophy wife for someone else. Maybe she could make a play for Rupert Murdoch? He’s looking, likes them a little more age-appropriate and definitely popping off soon.

  4. equality says:

    Everyone isn’t jealous of her for snagging DT. Whatever her decision in accepting that he was never going to be a “doting husband or father” is fine for her, but personally I wouldn’t have brought a child into that situation. I feel sorry for Barron.

  5. Eleonor says:

    Melania had a deal from the start.
    Period.
    She didn’t sign to be first lady and sge renegotiated her contract.
    Once the presidency was over they started two separates lives.
    She must have a non disclosure agreement and tons of money.

    • Eve Vane says:

      Everyone seemed to have forgotten this.
      I believe they’ve always loved separate lives from the beginning. She was his trophy wife and that’s it.

    • drbessy says:

      came to say exactly this.
      Contract 1: pre-nup with specified $/ monthly allowance, agreement to produce 1 child, attend social appearances, (sex yearly on bday)
      Contract 2: re-negotiated $/monthly + GREAT BIG bonus for role of FLOTUS, $ to get parents covered, reduced social appearances outside of FLOTUS contract, and sex is off the table now.

      This lady is no fool when it comes to making deals. she has set herself, her parents and her son up for life, and then some. I sort of take her as feeling as she does not need a partner (with exception of the money and swimmers they provide) for anything in her life.

    • Fabiola says:

      She must have money tucked away to take care of her son and parents if she ever needs to leave trump.

  6. It Really Is You, Not Me says:

    I 100% agee hat Melania is taking the best option for her if she wants to stay in this transactional marriage. But I really don’t know if she’s humiliated. She knew this was part of the deal, although I bet she wishes this wasn’t public. I don’t think she has let him touch her since Barron was conceived.

  7. Emme says:

    You have to care to be bothered. You have to care to feel humiliated. If you don’t care you don’t feel anything.

  8. ML says:

    I don’t really care: she can go away and remain silent. Even better: never be first lady again.

  9. Flowerlake says:

    There have been First ladies like Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

    And then there was this one.

  10. Eve Vane says:

    Everyone seemed to have forgotten this.
    I believe they’ve always loved separate lives from the beginning. She was his trophy wife and that’s it.

  11. Eve Vane says:

    I’m obsessed with her hate for DT. It’s comical and real. I wish they could make a sitcom out of it. The seething hate that comes across her face when she has to interact with DT is hilarious.

  12. Saschafrom76 says:

    I don’t really care do you
    Melania? How anyone can normalized this nazi twat is beyond me. Lock her up too. Disgusting and by her husbands definition and the laws of this land and « illegal immigrant » grifter. remember she paid for her citizenship by spreading her legs.

  13. Cams says:

    Not only is it transactional, but Baron-the son- comes first. If the fbi said they will ask baron 1 question if melania doesnt snitch on Trump , she would. It wouldn’t take much. It’s team knass-her maiden name.

  14. sparrow says:

    Hi. As I said on an earlier Trump article, I don’t tend to comment on American politics posts because I don’t fully feel the forces from the outside in. However, I wonder this, and please respond American c’bers: Do you think she stays because she fears that, if she goes, his supporters will be after her for ditching someone who seems like a god to them? In this way, perhaps she is safer in the tent of someone she is younger than and therefore prepared to wait out some years until she can leave safely? If I were her, I’d be concerned for my physical well-being out there alone after rejecting this man.

    • MissMarirose says:

      No, I think she stays because of the money and the perks that come with being his wife. She and her parents are unlikely to be able to live the same lifestyle post-divorce with whatever pre-nup she has.

    • AmelieOriginal says:

      She stays with him because she knows once he dies, a ton of money is coming her way in the will as his living spouse. She won’t get as much if she files for divorce, I’m sure there’s some kind of prenup/marriage contract clause. I’m sure all his kids will get something but if Melania outlives him, she will inherit the bulk of it.

      • sparrow says:

        Thank you, MissMarirose & AmelieOriginal. It’s good to get insights from people living thru it. He seems to have such rabid and dangerous supporters I wondered for her safety concerns, but it’s money. Truly shallower than I thought.

      • Josephine says:

        she’s not going to inherit the bulk of it imo. he’ll leave the most he can to the kids and she’ll get the minimum. there is no way he’s going to leave a bunch of money to a foreigner who he probably thinks is a small step above a working girl. there is no way he respects her or wants to leave his money to her.

  15. MissMarirose says:

    It’s ironic that Melania calls Stormy a “porn hooker” because she’s in just as much of a transactional relationship with Trump as Stormy was. At least Stormy had the sense to move on to greener (and less gross) pastures.

  16. Scout says:

    Trump must have a rock solid prenuptial agreement in place for Melania to choose this status quo.

  17. I'm not eating zoodles says:

    I don’t think anyone believed they had a relationship based on love, fidelity, respect, and mutual interests. Their marriage has always seemed like a business arrangement, and iirc even back before they got married, DT never really stated he would be monogamous.

    Besides, didn’t she have some hot side piece in NY for a while? I don’t think either of them care if they have other partners, I think it’s just the amount of discretion they exhibit that matters to them.

  18. Trillion says:

    Nobody loves trinkets and baubles more than Melania Trump

  19. Kingston says:

    BEING humiliated and FEELING humiliated are two different things.

    To be humiliated is to be on the receiving end of public or private opprobrium. So anyone and everyone of us can be humiliated.

    How and the extent to which we respond to such debasement/shaming/etc constitutes whether or not we “feel humiliated.”

    And it’s virtually impossible not to FEEL humiliated after BEING humiliated.

    Whether that “feeling” is anger, hurt, shame, depression, misery, etc is up to the individual but obviously and definitely, after BEING humiliated it is virtually impossible not to FEEL/have a response to, humiliation…….however mildly or extremely; and whether we internalise or express said feeling.

  20. jferber says:

    I think she has so distanced herself from him and their relationship, bubble-wrapped herself, so to speak, that she doesn’t feel humiliated by anything he’s done. In other words, she’s bubble-wrapped him too and sent him into outer space mentally. She’s cocooned with the only people she’s ever cared about (her parents and Barron) and I don’t believe she’ll ever come out of that cocoon. If he did run for the presidency, I don’t think she’d be open to do shit, no matter the negotiation to come. She has exactly what she wants–the money, luxury and family she wants- and Donald is an unwelcome intruder in this small world. I’m sure she keeps interactions with him to a minimum, a contractual minimum.

  21. Saucy&Sassy says:

    Melania was FLOTUS for 4 years. How many days was she even in D.C.? How many days did she even do anything in her position as FLOTUS? In my opinion, she’s a cipher. She’ll hang on to the Orange one, because she expect Barron to get bucks when he dies. I think she did renegotiate her contract with the Orange one before the first time she set foot in D.C. after he was installed in the Whitehouse, so she got money then.

    I don’t think she spends much time even thinking about him. As long as she’s got the money she wants and money that she demands Barron gets, she’ll got about her business.

    The only thing that annoys me is that the American public was sold this fairytale of their marriage. Let’s be real, if Melania had wanted an abortion she would have gotten one. I think she wanted the money. I hope that she truly loves Barron.

  22. jferber says:

    I think that Melania wanted a child and she asked Trump and he said yes, as long as she promised to get her figure back afterwards. And she did promise (probably in writing). Maybe she wanted the anchor baby, but I do believe she loves him (whatever love means as applied to Melania).

  23. Katie Beanstalk says:

    I always thought Donald Trump and Melania were like each other personality wise. Not that I knew, it just looked that way.

    • Isadora says:

      Ivana, Marla and Melania all personality wise have been perfect matches for various reasons. But also notice that also his ex wives are also glowing with praise when it came to Donny boy. As long as the price is right they won’t betray Donny and forgive any and every Donny’s “errors”.

  24. jferber says:

    I wonder what hell she went through in Slovenia to make Donald Trump look like the better alternative?

  25. Anxious customer guy says:

    Melania calls Stormy Daniels a porn hooker, but if this marriage is “transactional” and for financial benefit only, technically this means Melania is also a prostitute, does it not?
    The only difference is that if this marriage breaks up, she can still hit 45 up for cash, if there will be any left unhidden from his creditors.

  26. Isadora says:

    I can understand why Melania is choosing this approach and good luck to her for sticking by it and pretend all the affairs didn’t happen. But on the whole i don’t have any sympathy for her or her plight. All of Donald’s wives have had the same sh*t outlook as Donald and stood by their husband. In that regard they were the perfect match. After Ivana divorced Donny for a while she was made to be this champion for cheated and divorced women everywhere. Only to be revealed that she’d run back to Donny and written books about how “fantastic”Donny really is or more than happy to barf the same crap about immigrants and support any sh*t policy that Donny has put out as “brilliant”. Marla revealed to be anti-vaxx and amplified maga conspiracies and being positive about her ex husband. And for the record Tiffany never was left out. She spend time and campaigned for daddy dearest. But the media created this ” ugly duckling gets left out” narrative when she was not. Her socials was full of support for daddy but in terms media presence she was more lowkey than Ivanka. If donny ever leaves the marriage with Melania or dies and Melania decides to give a tell all interview that paints her the victim I will side eye her so hard for it. You’ve made your bed, own that crap.