Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, US News, Politics
Callum Jones
Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, US News, Politics
A former aide of Melania Trump has claimed the First Lady will never leave Donald Trump for one specific reason.
While Donald and Melania first crossed paths in 1998, it wasn't until 2005 that the pair tied the knot at a swanky ceremony held in Palm Beach, Florida. They welcomed Barron a year later, though becoming First Lady was likely not part of the plan for Melania when she formed a relationship with the now-president.
Speaking of the first time she met Trump, Melania told Harper’s Bazaar in 2016: "He wanted my number, but he was with a date, so of course I didn’t give it to him. I said, ‘I am not giving you my number; you give me yours, and I will call you.’ I wanted to see what kind of number he would give me — if it was a business number, ‘What is this? I’m not doing business with you.'"
Advert
While Trump may now be serving his second term as president, the 79-year-old has been embroiled in his fair share of controversy over the years.
The Republican was found guilty in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump.
The $130,000 'hush money' payments were found to be intended to boost Trump's electoral prospects when he ran for president in 2016.
Stephanie Grisham, a former aide of Melania, spoke to CNN last year to offer an insight into the First Lady's mindset during the time her husband was facing criminal charges.
Grisham told the outlet: "She knew what she was getting into. She may have been concerned about how it affected his future image, but she wasn’t going anywhere."
Trump was ultimately sentenced to an unconditional discharge - which meant that while he remained a convicted felon, he would not face time behind bars.
During the trial, Michael Cohen, the president's former attorney, claimed Trump was unbothered by how Melania would react to news of an alleged affair as he was more bothered about being elected the POTUS.
"How long do you think I'll be on the market for? Not long," Cohen claimed Trump said - something the president has denied.
Grisham offered her opinion on the matter, saying on CNN in 2024: "I think that comment [from Trump] to Cohen rang absolutely true. She's happy, she's got a very good life. She's not going anywhere, that's been proven. And so I absolutely believe he said something like that to Michael Cohen."