Former aide compares Melania Trump to 'doomed French queen' Marie Antoinette
Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary who famously held no press briefings and chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump, resigned on Jan. 6, shortly after pro-Trump rioters besieged the U.S. Capitol. She fills in some details in her upcoming book, I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in The Trump White House.
According to details of the book published Monday morning by Politico, Grisham writes that she sent Melania Trump a text message at 1:25 p.m., asking if she wanted "to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness and violence?" Trump sent a one-word replay a minute later: "No." The first lady was, at that moment, preparing for a photo shoot of a rug she had chosen for the White House, Grisham writes.
Melania Trump's indifference to the Jan. 6 riot "broke" Grisham, she writes, especially since she had spent years defending her against charges she was a out-of-touch dilettante in the mold of Marie Antionette. Now, Grisham says, according to Politico, she sees Melania like "the doomed French queen. Dismissive. Defeated. Detached." Grisham also says she was "shocked" that the first lady appeared to agree with her husband's delusions that the election was illegitimate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Politico's Kyle Cheney notes a new Jan. 6 timeline uncovered in Grisham's memoir, pointing out that if Melania Trump knew about the violence at the Capitol "an hour before Trump tweeted his 2:24 pm attack on [Vice President Mike] Pence," that "further undercuts the paper-thin claim that Trump wasn't aware Pence faced danger."
Melania Trump's office said in a statement that Grisham, a years-long loyalist who joined the Trump campaign in 2015, is making an "obvious" attempt "to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump." She issued a similar statement after another longtime aide and former friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, wrote an op-ed arguing that Melania's Jan. 6 response made her "complicit in the destruction of America."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
5 fact-checked cartoons about the VP debate
Cartoons Artists take on civil disagreements, admissions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Japanese villages where time stood still
The Week Recommends Up to 200 villagers cooperate to thatch a roof in a single day, preserving this beautiful tradition
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 6, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Liz Cheney campaigns with Harris in Wisconsin
Speed Read The pair does not agree on much politically, but they share an anti-Trump stance
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Harris visit storm-hit North Carolina, Georgia
Speed Read President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took separate tours of the south to view the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Jack Smith filing details Jan. 6 case against Trump
Speed Read The special counsel's newly unsealed brief argues Trump is not immune from prosecution and gives new details on his efforts to overturn the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How Trump's 'dark' rhetoric could motivate undecided voters
Talking Points 'This is a dark — this a dark speech,' Trump said in Wisconsin
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'His death creates an opportunity for rough justice'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump politicizes Helene response in Georgia visit
Speed Read The former president made false claims about President Joe Biden's management of the storm's aftermath
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published