Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide to Melania Trump, has recently made revelations about Donald and Melania Trump’s marital relationship. According to Wolkoff, the marriage was more transactional than romantic, an assertion based on her past close association with the former first lady.
Wolkoff’s assertions are derived from a nostalgic video from the “The Apprentice” sixth season premiere, aired on X on June 16. The video features Donald Trump, Melania Trump, and their son Barron. Wolkoff contends that the image of a loving family portrayed in the video was a deliberate attempt to create a specific public perception, masking the true dynamics of their relationship.
Wolkoff states that Donald Trump required a partner who would let him take the limelight, and their marriage served to validate them both. For Melania, the marriage fulfilled her aspiration of being on Vogue’s cover, while for Donald, it aided in shedding his playboy persona and becoming a more reputable public figure. This claim is supported by Ramin Setoodeh’s book “Apprentice in Wonderland,” which delves into Trump’s tenure as a reality TV star and includes a statement from Trump himself, acknowledging that his journey to the White House would have been implausible without “The Apprentice.”
Beyond the dynamics of the Trumps’ marriage, Wolkoff also emphasizes the significant role “The Apprentice” played in their path to the White House. She used social media to express her view that the image of Donald Trump as a successful businessman and Melania as his supermodel wife, crafted by the show’s creators Mark Burnett and Jeff Zucker, was a crucial factor in their political ascendancy.
Reactions to Wolkoff’s assertions on social media have been diverse. Some users have agreed with her, suggesting that without “The Apprentice,” Donald Trump would have remained largely unfamiliar to most of the country. Others have noted that the show helped to mask Trump’s financial difficulties and alleged fraudulent activities, presenting a facade of success to the public.
Wolkoff’s criticism includes Melania’s absence from Donald Trump’s recent hush money trial. Despite Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, arguing that Melania’s absence should not be construed as a lack of support, Wolkoff strongly objects. She maintains that genuine support involves standing by someone without reservation, regardless of public perception. In her opinion, Melania’s decision to skip the trial due to image concerns betrays a lack of genuine concern.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Wolkoff was candid about her belief that the Trumps’ marriage was primarily transactional. She suggested that the marriage allowed Melania to realize her dream of becoming a Vogue cover model while providing Trump with a more respectable public image. “I think people have to remember who Melania really is,” said Wolkoff while discussing Donald Trump’s ongoing hush money trial in New York.
Wolkoff’s comments have rekindled debates about the authenticity of high-profile relationships and the influence of media representation on public perception. The throwback video from “The Apprentice” and Wolkoff’s observations provide an insight into the intricacies of the Trumps’ marriage, hinting that the public image might have been deliberately cultivated for maximum impact.
Having penned a tell-all book “Melania and Me” in 2020, Wolkoff has been a constant critic of the Trump family since her fallout with the former first lady. Their relationship took a hit when it was revealed that Wolkoff’s event planning firm had received $26 million to help organize Trump’s inauguration, with $1.62 million purportedly retained by the firm.