A biographer has claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are separated.
Michael Wolff, who has written several books on Trump, said the pair, who share one child together, do not spend any time together and live separate lives.
“They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage,“ Wolff told The Daily Beast podcast.
Highlights
- Biographer Michael Wolff claims Donald and Melania Trump live separate lives and are effectively ‘separated’ despite being married.
- Melania Trump has reportedly spent fewer than 14 days in the White House since January, rarely seen alongside the president.
- Historian Katherine Jellison notes Melania’s low profile is the lowest seen among first ladies in nearly 80 years.
- White House officials dispute Wolff’s claims, calling him discredited and accusing him of fabrications.
The comments come after reports that Melania is never at the White House
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
”And I think maybe we can more specifically say they live separate lives. They are separated. The president of the United States and the first lady are separated."
His comments come after reports in The New York Times that said Melania has spent fewer than 14 days in the White House since her husband took office in January.
While she has appeared at some events alongside her husband, such as an event celebrating military mothers and the Easter Egg Roll, sources told the Times she vanishes for weeks at a time.
Katherine Jellison, a historian who researches first ladies, told the publication: “We haven’t seen such a low-profile first lady since Bess Truman, and that’s going way back in living human memory, nearly 80 years ago.”
Image credits: The White House
In response to the claims, White House officials said they could not confirm how often Melania was in residence but said it was more than the public thought.
Wolff also commented on the story as he spoke to podcast host Joanna Coles.
“But they didn’t go and say, ‘This is obviously a marriage in trouble,’” he said.
“The American public has been sold a bill of goods here that, you know, Donald Trump and his glamorous wife. That runs entirely counter to all of the facts here, including the fact that they don’t spend any time together.”
White House officials have previously branded Wolff as a fraud and a liar.
Image credits: The White House
In response to his latest comments, White House communications director Steven Cheung told The Independent that he was “a blithering idiot” who has been “widely discredited due to his blatant lies and fabrications.”
“He is an imbecile of the highest order, and his Trump Derangement Syndrome-addled brain has caused him to lead a miserable existence devoid of reality,” Cheung said.
Before Trump’s inauguration in January, Melania told Fox News “I will be in the White House” when she was asked about where she would be spending her time.
Melania said she would be spending time at the White House during her husband's term
Image credits: The Daily Beast
“And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach,” she said.
“But my first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife.”
Melania’s son, Baron Trump is now 19 years old and studying at New York University's Stern School of Business.
Image credits: The White House
During Trump's first term as president, Melania did not immediately move into the White House.
Instead, she remained in New York City for several months to allow Barron, then 10, to finish the school year at his private school to prioritize stability in his education.
Sources told the Times that Melania’s fears over her family's safety were amplified last year after the attempted assassination of Trump, and a separate incident involving an armed person on one of his golf courses.