Why Melania Trump has no intention of leaving her husband, despite his scandals
Through scandals, silence and constant media attention, the First Lady of the United States continues to stand by her husband. Whilst the whole world debates her loyalty and motives, those who know her better than most insist that a clear pattern has long been evident in her behaviour.
Amid years of political turmoil, high-profile personal stories and the relentless glare of the spotlight, Melania Trump remains a calm, reserved and almost inscrutable figure alongside her 80-year-old husband, President Donald Trump.
Her cool reserve and outward calm have fuelled rumours and speculation for years. But for those who know the 56-year-old former model really well, her decision to remain in this marriage has never seemed a mystery.
A long-standing friend recounted what she had observed from the sidelines
In 2003, whilst working at Vogue, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff — a writer, former adviser and close friend — met Melania, who was then a model and dating Donald. A close bond developed between the two women. “We’ve been through a lot over the past fifteen years,” Stephanie said in an interview with ABC News in 2020.
Following Donald’s victory in the 2016 election, Stephanie was brought in to help organise the inauguration, and later became an unpaid adviser to the First Lady. This allowed her to gain a very close insight into Melania’s private world – both during the transition period and in the early months of the new administration.
This insider’s perspective was particularly evident at one of the key moments of the election campaign, when the media published the Access Hollywood tape in which Donald made crude and offensive comments about women. The public reaction was swift and harsh, and many began to wonder how Melania would respond.
Stephanie recalled that she had met Melania for lunch that day and had expected to see a woman in a state of distress. “She was beaming, she was smiling,” she said. “It looked as though nothing had happened.”
Trying to lighten the mood, Stephanie joked: ‘I said to her, “How many times have you heard those words and the word ‘president’ in the same sentence?” And we both laughed.’ Later, Stephanie added: ‘She knew who she was marrying… She understood what she was getting herself into, and he understood it too.’
Although Stephanie later said she felt betrayed by Melania, she still spoke with a certain admiration of the First Lady’s ability to maintain control. According to her, Melania always exuded a quiet confidence that remained unwavering and even had a calming effect on those around her.
The former aide explained her view
In May 2024, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham offered a rare insight into how Melania perceives the situation and why she is not stepping down.
In an interview with CNN, the former press secretary acknowledged that the media attention surrounding Donald’s personal scandals could be humiliating for Melania. However, she said this did not in any way mean that the First Lady was planning to leave her husband.
At the same time, she made it clear: Melania is staying. “Yes, she knew who she was marrying,” said the former aide. “She’s happy; she has a very good life. She’s not going anywhere; that’s already been proven.”***
Sources speak of her increasing distance from politics
Melania’s distance from politics is no accident. According to a 2021 CNN report, several people close to her claimed that she has no plans to return actively to public life, even if her husband secures a second term.
“Being First Lady again is not what she wants,” one source told the publication. “For her, that was a chapter of her life. And it’s over. That’s it.”
The article also mentioned her well-known reluctance to take part in campaign events. One political aide from Trump’s 2016 team admitted: “We simply stopped asking altogether,” after she repeatedly refused to attend campaign events.
As First Lady, Melania led an extremely low-key public life: she gave fewer than five on-camera interviews and did not grant a single written interview — a level of seclusion almost unheard of for someone in such a position.