Melania Trump’s former staffer reveals bombshell about her ‘made-for-TV’ relationship with Donald and son Barron
A former confidante of Melania Trump made an eyebrow-raising claim about the former First Lady’s relationship with Donald Trump, amid swirling rumors about the strain on their marriage.
Stephanie Winstom Wolkoff, who was once a senior adviser to Melania, posted a clip on X of The Apprentice on Sunday that portrays Trump as a family man.
The video shows her as a baby carrying son Barron outside their lavish home.
She goes to greet Donald and says “daddy’s coming home” as he pulls up in a convertible and says “hello honey.”
“Many may think that ‘Daddy’s House’ is a Father’s Day video. No!’ Winston Wolkoff wrote about X.
‘Millions of Americans watched the Apprentice. Donald was a household name. He needed a woman to look and play the part and let him be the star. Marrying Melania and making her a Vogue Cover model legitimized them both.”
Former President Donald Trump and Melania at a fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida on April 6, before the start of Trump’s trial in New York
She suggests that the former first couple’s relationship was primarily a business arrangement.
“What catapulted ‘businessman’ Donald J. Trump and his ‘supermodel’ wife to the White House was a mirage created by Survivor producer Mark Burnett and NBC boss Jeff Zucker,” she continued.
She pointed to a new book by Ramin Setoodeh, “Apprentice in Wonderland,” in which he admits he would not have been president without the TV show.
The clip of the Trumps in The Apprentice recently went viral online, with users claiming it was ‘rare footage’ of her as a mother – when in fact it was the show’s opening.
Melania Trump holds Barron in a clip for The Apprentice on NBC. The video recently went viral as ‘rare footage’, but it was from the show
In the video, then-TV star Donald Trump concludes the final season of The Apprentice with Melania by his side
Winston Wolkoff’s elimination comes as Melania is largely out of the public eye as Trump makes a bid for a second term in the White House and fights criminal charges in multiple cases.
The former first lady was not at the ex-president’s side last month during his criminal trial in New York, which included detailed testimony about the ex-president allegedly cheating on her with a porn star.
Legal experts believed that an appearance by Melania in Manhattan criminal court was not necessary to help her husband’s case because the couple is so well-known, but it did spark speculation about her views on the allegations.
The pair were spotted together in early April at a mega fundraiser hosted by billionaire John Paulson.
Trump, wearing a lavender jumpsuit, smiled as he posed for a photo with her husband at the dinner, which raised more than $40 million for his re-election campaign.
The couple also cheered on their 18-year-old son Barron as he graduated from high school in West Palm Beach last month. Trump was granted Friday leave by the court to fly to the event.
The pair were seen smiling and clapping as her only son walked across the stage.
But the former first lady has not commented publicly on the ex-president’s hush-money conviction and has not attended any of his campaign rallies to date.
Melania Trump and the ex-president at Barron’s graduation ceremony on May 17
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff (left) with Melania Trump. She was a longtime adviser to the former first lady before the relationship turned sour
Mrs Trump, 54, was also spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York, days after the guilty verdict.
While several Trumps shared Father’s Day posts on Sunday, Melania remained silent on social media despite sharing a post on X for Mother’s Day last month.
Winston Wolkoff appeared on CNN after Trump was found guilty of sharing what she said actually happened behind closed doors between the Trumps.
She said she believed Melania Trump was probably direct and told Trump exactly how she felt.
‘Donald was eventually caught and along the way Melania knew exactly who she was marrying. She knew this was a transactional marriage,” Winston Wolkoff said.
“She became a top model, he became a loving, devoted father, and it prepared them for their run to the White House,” she said.
She said Melania Trump will make an appearance if necessary to distract Trump.