Melania Trump suggests she doesn't 'give a f--k about Christmas stuff and decorations' in secret recording


Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend and senior adviser to first lady Melania Trump, gave some of her covertly recorded phone conversations to CNN, and Anderson Cooper played excerpts on his show Thursday night.
The recordings include one, written about in Winston Wolkoff's new book, where Trump says the migrant children separated from their parents under her husband's policies are happy they have beds. But a new recording has the first lady using NSFW language to complain about people blaming her for child separation and other unpopular Trump policies, and having to decorate the White House for Christmas.
"They say I'm complicit. I'm the same like him, I support him, I don't say enough, I don't do enough where I am," Trump said in the July 2018 recording. "I'm working ... my ass off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f--k about the Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right? ... Okay, and then I do it and I say that I'm working on Christmas and planning for the Christmas and they said, 'Oh, what about the children that they were separated?' Give me a f---ing break."
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.
Trump's chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, slammed Winston Wolkoff in a statement to CNN: "Secretly taping the first lady and willfully breaking an NDA to publish a salacious book is a clear attempt at relevance."
President Trump has made saying "Merry Christmas" a big part of his pitch to conservative Christian supporters. So some people trolled the first couple for Melania Trump's newly unveiled opinion about Christmas decorations. "As a Catholic, I resent when Donald Trump and his family mock Christians and look down on our faith," tweeted Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). "We believe Christmas is the day Christ was born, and we are not 'hustlers' as Trump has called us. I urge the president and first lady to stop disrespecting Christians."
Others, like Obama White House alumnus Patrick Dillon, suggested Melania had a point. Peter Weber
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.
-
Can Texas redistricting save the US House for the GOP?
Today's Big Question Trump pushes a 'ruthless' new plan, but it could backfire
-
'No one should be surprised by this cynical strategy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Intellectual property: AI gains at creators' expense
Feature Two federal judges ruled that it is fair use for AI firms to use copyrighted media to train bots
-
Trump threatens Russia with 'severe tariffs'
speed read The president also agreed to sell NATO advanced arms for Ukraine
-
IDF blames 'error' for strike on Gaza water line
Speed Read Israeli forces attack Palestinians, including children, collecting water in central Gaza
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.