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.
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
-
Antibiotic resistance: the hidden danger on Ukraine’s frontlinesUnder The Radar Threat is spreading beyond war zones to the ‘doorstep’ of western Europe
-
‘Capitalism: A Global History’ by Sven Beckert and ‘American Canto’ by Olivia NuzziFeature A consummate history of capitalism and a memoir from the journalist who fell in love with RFK Jr.
-
Who will the new limits on student loans affect?The Explainer The Trump administration is imposing new limits for federal student loans starting on July 1, 2026
-
US offers Ukraine NATO-like security pact, with caveatsSpeed Read The Trump administration has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive from NATO
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
