EXCLUSIVE: Melania Trump's former friend reveals White House secrets | 60 Minutes Australia

Summary

In this revealing exposé, former close friend and senior advisor to Melania Trump, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, shares intimate insights into the Trumps' marriage and political maneuverings. The tell-all book and interview detail Melania's enigmatic persona, her strategic role in Trump's presidency, and the alleged backstabbing within the family, particularly from Ivanka Trump. Wolkoff's account also addresses the controversy surrounding the inauguration's finances and her subsequent fall from grace, painting a picture of a calculated and often ruthless pursuit of power within the Trump administration.

Takeaways

• 😐 Melania Trump is often seen as a mystery, even to her husband, and has maintained an air of privacy during her time as First Lady.
• 👥 Stephanie Winston Wolkoff was a close friend of Melania for 15 years and became a trusted advisor, helping with the inauguration.
• 📚 The relationship between Melania and Donald Trump is described as complicated and not a typical marriage, with both having their own reasons for being together.
• 🌐 Melania's background as a model from Slovenia and her rise to become the First Lady of the United States is highlighted as part of the 'American Dream'.
• 🤔 Melania is often seen as complicit in her husband's actions, with the public speculating about her true feelings and reactions.
• 🤝 The friendship between Melania and Stephanie soured, leading to Stephanie writing a tell-all book about Melania and Donald Trump.
• 💸 There were allegations of financial mismanagement during the inauguration, with Stephanie accused of pocketing a large sum of money.
• 🗣️ Stephanie claims that Melania knew about the financial details and that she was thrown under the bus when the accusations arose.
• 📖 The book by Stephanie is said to contain the truth about Melania and Donald Trump, and she claims to have evidence to back up her claims.
• 🇫🇷 If Donald Trump loses the election, it's speculated that Melania would prefer to be on a yacht in the South of France, doing nothing.

Q & A

Who is Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and what was her relationship with Melania Trump?

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is a former friend and senior advisor to Melania Trump. She claims to have been close friends with Melania for 15 years, and due to this friendship, she was made a trusted advisor and helped organize Donald Trump's inauguration.

What led to the souring of the friendship between Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and Melania Trump?

The friendship soured after Stephanie was accused of pocketing a significant amount of money from the inauguration she helped organize. Melania Trump did not publicly defend her, leading Stephanie to feel betrayed.

What is Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's view on Melania Trump's public persona?

Stephanie believes that Melania Trump is a mystery to the public, even to her own husband, and that she remains enigmatic on purpose to avoid answering to anyone.

How does Stephanie describe the Trump marriage?

Stephanie describes the Trump marriage as not typical and suggests it is a strategic, transactional relationship beyond most people's comprehension.

What was Melania Trump's reaction to Donald Trump's alleged affairs?

Melania Trump is quoted as saying that certain things don't need to be explained, implying she chose not to address the allegations publicly.

What role does Ivanka Trump play in the narrative provided by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff?

Stephanie portrays Ivanka Trump as a challenger to Melania's role as First Lady, suggesting that Ivanka is more interested in power and personal gain than in supporting Melania.

Why did Stephanie Winston Wolkoff write a tell-all book about Melania Trump?

Stephanie wrote the book to clear her name and provide her perspective on the events that transpired, after feeling betrayed and thrown under the bus by Melania.

What was the controversy surrounding the inauguration that Stephanie was involved in organizing?

The controversy was about the high cost of the inauguration, with allegations that Stephanie pocketed a significant amount of the funds. She was accused of receiving $26 million but was only paid $490,000.

How does Stephanie Winston Wolkoff describe her own role in the Trump administration?

Stephanie describes herself as being in a privileged position as Melania's senior advisor, but also as someone who was eventually seen as trouble due to her questioning and desire to help Melania.

What does Stephanie Winston Wolkoff claim about the Trump family's handling of the inauguration controversy?

She claims that Melania knew everything about the financial matters related to the inauguration and that the Trump family did not support her during the investigation, leading her to feel betrayed.

What does Stephanie Winston Wolkoff predict for Melania Trump if Donald Trump loses the election?

Stephanie predicts that Melania would retreat to the south of France, living a life of leisure on a yacht, doing what she's always wanted to do, which is nothing.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Enigmatic Melania Trump

This paragraph introduces Melania Trump as a unique and mysterious First Lady, who despite being highly visible, remains largely unknown even to her husband, Donald Trump. It discusses the contrast between the public personas of Donald and Melania, with him being outgoing and her being reserved. The paragraph also introduces Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former close friend of Melania, who claims to have been a trusted advisor and organizer of Donald Trump's inauguration. The narrative suggests that Melania's life and marriage are not typical, hinting at a complex and strategic relationship.

05:00

🔍 Melania's Strategic Marriage and Public Image

In this paragraph, the focus is on Melania's marriage to Donald Trump, described as transactional and strategic. It discusses the public's perception of Melania's reaction to Donald's affairs and her stoic public demeanor. The paragraph also touches on Melania's role in the Trump family's political and media strategies, suggesting that her actions, including avoiding Donald's public displays of affection, might be deliberate distractions. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff shares her insights from her long friendship and professional relationship with Melania, indicating a deep understanding of Melania's public and private personas.

10:02

🎩 Behind the Scenes of the Trump Inauguration

This paragraph delves into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the Trump inauguration, as experienced by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. It highlights the challenges Melania faced, being sidelined and ignored, and the perceived rivalry with Ivanka Trump. Stephanie claims that she was a trusted friend and advisor to Melania, who was 'diving into a pool of sharks' without support. The paragraph also discusses the tension between Melania and Ivanka, with Ivanka seemingly taking precedence in the family's political aspirations. Stephanie's eventual falling out with the Trumps and her public dismissal are also mentioned.

15:05

💸 Controversy and Betrayal: Stephanie's Accusations

The paragraph discusses the controversy surrounding the high costs of Trump's inauguration and the accusations of financial misappropriation against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. It details her claims of betrayal by Melania, who did not defend her publicly during the investigation. Stephanie asserts that Melania was aware of all financial matters and calls Melania's silence a 'cop-out.' The paragraph also introduces Stephanie's decision to write a tell-all book, fueled by her need to clear her name and expose what she believes to be the truth about the Trumps. She alleges being thrown 'under the bus' by Melania and discusses her motivations for writing the book.

20:07

📚 The Tell-All Book: Unveiling the Trumps

In this final paragraph, the focus is on Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's tell-all book, which she claims is a truthful account of her experiences with the Trumps. She refutes any accusations of falsehoods in her book and expresses her determination to clear her name. The paragraph also touches on the broader implications of the Trump administration's scandals, including the potential impact on the upcoming election. Stephanie suggests that the American public is being manipulated and that the Trumps are part of a larger reality show. She concludes with a prediction of Melania's post-White House life, should Donald Trump lose the election.

Keywords

💡Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States, serving from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. In the context of the video, he is portrayed as a larger-than-life figure with a brash and bold personality. His presidency and personal life are central to the narrative, particularly his relationship with Melania Trump and the unique dynamics of their marriage.

💡Melania Trump

Melania Trump is the former First Lady of the United States and the third wife of Donald Trump. The video suggests she is enigmatic and poised, with a complex relationship with her husband. It explores her background, her role as First Lady, and the public's perception of her as a reserved and traditional figure, akin to Jackie Kennedy.

💡Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is a former friend and senior advisor to Melania Trump, who later wrote a tell-all book about her experiences. In the video, she is depicted as someone who was once very close to Melania but had a falling out, leading to her sharing insider information about the Trump family.

💡Tell-all book

A tell-all book is a memoir or biography that reveals intimate or sensational details about a person or event. In the video, Wolkoff's tell-all book is a significant plot point, as it is said to contain explosive revelations about Melania and Donald Trump's personal lives and the inner workings of the Trump administration.

💡Inauguration

The inauguration refers to the ceremony to swear in the President of the United States. The video discusses the controversy surrounding the high cost of Donald Trump's inauguration and Wolkoff's role in organizing it, which later became a point of contention and part of the narrative of alleged financial misdealings.

💡Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump is the daughter of Donald Trump and a former business executive who served as an advisor to her father during his presidency. The video suggests a rivalry between Melania and Ivanka, with Ivanka being portrayed as having a significant influence and possibly overshadowing Melania's role as First Lady.

💡Complicit

To be complicit means to be involved with others in an unlawful or wrongful act. In the video, the term is used to describe Melania's perceived role in the Trump administration's actions, suggesting that by not speaking out, she is implicitly agreeing with or supporting them.

💡Transactional marriage

A transactional marriage implies a relationship where each party benefits from the union in a calculated manner rather than being based on love or emotional connection. Wolkoff describes Melania and Donald Trump's marriage in this way, suggesting it is more about strategic gain than traditional marital bonds.

💡Public displays of affection

Public displays of affection refer to physical gestures of love or passion in public. The video notes Melania's tendency to dodge Donald's attempts at public displays of affection, which is interpreted as a sign of the complexity of their relationship and possibly a strategic move to divert attention from other issues.

💡Reality show

The term 'reality show' is used metaphorically in the video to describe the perception that the Trump presidency was like a televised spectacle, with the public being the audience. This比喻ically captures the idea that the Trumps' lives were highly dramatized and that their actions were designed to captivate and entertain.

💡South of France

The South of France is known for its luxurious lifestyle and is often associated with the wealthy and elite. In the video, it is mentioned as a potential future location for Melania Trump, symbolizing a life of leisure and wealth after her time as First Lady.

Highlights

Melania Trump is described as a mystery, even to her husband, despite being one of the most photographed women.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff claims a 15-year friendship with Melania, which led to a trusted advisor role.

Wolkoff helped organize Trump's inauguration but later experienced a soured friendship.

Melania is portrayed as poised, petite, and reserved, in contrast to her husband's brash personality.

Melania's past in Slovenia under communist rule and her journey to becoming a U.S. first lady is highlighted.

Melania's public image is discussed, with comparisons to Jackie Kennedy.

Wolkoff suggests Melania's public persona is strategic and calculated.

The Trump marriage is described as transactional and strategic by Wolkoff.

Melania's response to her husband's public affairs is characterized as political and nonchalant.

Wolkoff discusses Melania's role in distracting from other Trump family issues.

The friendship between Melania and Wolkoff is detailed, including their shared ideologies and common sense.

Wolkoff's role as senior advisor to Melania and her experience with the Trump family dynamics are explored.

Ivanka Trump's rivalry with Melania for the role of first lady is mentioned.

Wolkoff's dismissal from the White House and her subsequent public falling out with Melania are discussed.

Allegations of financial mismanagement during the inauguration and Wolkoff's defense against them are highlighted.

Wolkoff's secret recordings of Melania and her motivations for writing a tell-all book are revealed.

The potential impact of the book on the upcoming election and the Trump administration is considered.

Wolkoff's prediction for Melania's future if Trump loses the election is shared.

Transcripts

just as the world has never experienced

a united states president

quite like donald trump we've not seen

a first lady like melania trump

despite being one of the most

photographed women on the planet

she remains virtually unknown even by

her own husband it's been unkindly

suggested

tonight though that changes stephanie

winston walkoff

says she was besties with melania for 15

years

because of that she was made a trusted

advisor to the first lady

and even helped organize donald trump's

inauguration

but then their friendship soured badly

so what did stephanie do next well

she wrote a tell-all book that really

does

tell all about melania and the donald

[Music]

for outsiders looking at the state of

the union

of donald and melania trump one thing

seems obvious opposites attract

trump he's big and brash we're gonna

knock the [ __ ] out of isis

she's poised petite and reserved

melania trump is one of the most

glamorous first ladies ever

melania has been the first lady of the

united states

for almost four years but unlike her

husband

she's still a mystery melania

does not want people to know who she is

or what she's about

and melania by remaining mysterious by

keeping up that steel wall

she doesn't have to answer to anyone

stephanie winston walkoff

is one of the very few to get close to

the real melania trump

as you'll see they're not friends now

but for 15 years

from the early 2000s they were

inseparable

more than anyone she understands that

trump's

complicated love

this is not a typical typical marriage

or a typical relationship they are there

for one another

they um have a reason for being together

which is beyond

anyone's comprehension um except for

being able to present themselves in a

way

that she brings or she brought some

humanity

to the presidency

it's easy to see how

growing up as a young child in slovenia

which was under communist rule at the

time

i always heard about an amazing place

called america

yes in many ways melania's story

is the american dream

[Music]

at 26 she arrived in the u.s as a model

and soon caught the eye of the ambitious

and audacious

donald trump when they married in 2005

melania became his third wife

i was actually supposed to meet somebody

else and there was this great supermodel

sitting next to melania i was supposed

to meet the supermodel

and they were saying look there's so and

so i said forget about her

who's the one on the left and it was one

you like him right away

it was a great chemistry and energy all

for you

what he got out of it was arm candy a

decade later

she ends up with you know being the

first united states of america

yes can you picture yourself

the first lady yes i would be very

traditional

like jackie kennedy

but it's fair to say that jackie kennedy

never

looked like this at least not in public

they were a little risky but nothing

more than

you see every year in sport illustrated

stephanie winston walkoff says despite

melania's

significant exposure she's never been an

open book

and while she might not like donald's

embarrassing faux pas

grab him by the [ __ ] i could do

anything

he knows his wife will always stare

the other way i was surprised

because that is not the man that i know

[Music]

would you agree in public she she really

looks happy

if she is not unhappy she is complicit

she is um no different than her husband

what is their relationship i mean is it

a marriage made in heaven

with these two calculating people you

know

i mean i have been saying it's a

transactional marriage and it is because

i started to realize that everything

they did

had was was um strategic

well what you're talking about is an

incredibly

cynical marriage but if she knew

who she was marrying and she's happy

with what she's got out of it

where does that leave the public

embarrassment stephanie

you've got a woman who's married to this

guy who has an affair with a playboy

model

and then a porn star and we're talking

only weeks after his

son is born and she's still recovering

they were meant for each other what

woman what what what

what normal woman could actually

handle that none for her

it was just politics it's just liberal

media

it is what it is i know who i'm married

certain things don't need to be

explained with an explanation i mean

those are her words

he wanted the spotlight he's a showman

and she was willing to do what

she needed for her which was to stand by

her side

so all of these speculations about her

heart and how she's feeling and melania

and melania

everyone should just stop because

there's nothing there to feel

[Music]

she seems to have this habit of dodging

donald's public displays of affection

and we've seen that a number of times

is that a little bit weird so i think

what people are

forgetting or missing is that donald

and melania and the trump

family um are masters of the dark

and i think that whenever he needs

something to distract away from

something else

melania plays a role in that and then

all of a sudden everyone's talking about

her hand swat

which is to me she's literally

again they are aligned in a way

that everything is done for a reason

nothing just happens ah

you think that's on purpose 100

so there has to be again you have to

understand who they are

to understand what they're trying to do

which is fleece the nation like which is

completely make you think one thing

because

that machine behind them is so powerful

i'm very strong people they don't really

know me

people think and talk about me

the

like oh melania oh poor melania

don't feel sorry for me don't feel sorry

for me

i i can handle everything

for years stephanie worked at vogue

magazine

in new york it was where she first met

model

melania they hit it off immediately

melania and i our friendship was based

on

her ability to stay calm her ability to

have the most general common sense it

was a very

you know our ideologies were not spoken

about politics was not spoken about

it was just the two of us and so

i always felt great after i left seeing

her i felt confident i felt

assured i mean she really gave me that

boost of

um you know energy

their friendship blossomed into a

working relationship

when melania became the first lady

stephanie was announced as her senior

advisor

but as he's off in the way business and

pleasure

don't always mix and the friendship

disintegrated

stephanie is there still a tiny part of

you

that likes melania

no not at all

you knew this woman as a genuine friend

for 15 odd years how could you get it so

wrong

i know i gave her the benefit of the

doubt i wanted to believe

coming up melania had no one i knew she

was diving into a pool of sharks

and how it all went well people did not

like me asking questions

politics and power is ivanka jealous

of her stepmother inside a bloody white

house

stabbed me in the back and sliced me on

the neck and threw me under the bus

that's next

on 60 minutes

[Applause]

when donald trump was sensationally

elected president

four years ago the new first lady

melania

turned to her close friend stephanie

winston walkoff

to help coordinate her husband's 100

million dollar

inauguration stephanie's connections

in the fashion world as well as years of

experience producing

new york's famous met gala made her the

perfect

choice for the job it was her first

glimpse

into the colliding worlds of the trump

family

and washington politics when i was first

asked to

um produce the inauguration i did so

with honor

as i was doing this i realized that

melania had no one and i mean

no one helping her and i was her friend

for 15 years

i was someone that she trusted and

someone that she knew would watch out

for her

and when i saw what was going on during

the presidential inauguration committee

planning

um i knew she was diving into a pool of

sharks and then i needed to have her

back

because no one else would

according to stephanie right from the

start melania trump

was pushed aside and often ignored

it quickly became obvious there was a

challenger

for the role of first lady donald's

daughter

ivanka no one cared

to take care of melania trump people

were only interested in making sure that

ivanka trump was taken care of is there

normal communication between

melania and ivanka do they ever just sit

down and talk to each other in a room

about what's happening that day

not very often you know it used to be

more cordial

when the children were younger they did

look up to melania um

but now you know power does take its

place

and it holds a very critically important

you know part of all of their

being now and yet listen i ivanka just

wanted to usurp the first lady

her interests were her own it's what

ivanka can get out of this for herself

why is that

is ivanka jealous of her stepmother or

is melania just

a bit bitter because she knows that

ivanka is donald's

favorite daughter melania's accepted the

fact

that and did accept the fact and she

kept saying to me

this is the way it's going to be why do

you care so much and i kept banging my

head against the wall because

it's not just the way it should be but

that's ironic isn't it because

you're telling me you really wanted to

make a difference a genuine difference

and here you are working for a so-called

friend of yours who

seems like she just couldn't care less

in the beginning she did care

and that's the difference here's the

thing

she has succumbed to her stepdaughter's

ability to squash her as the first lady

to do anything effective to affect

change

um and she's just going to ride out

this time and um

that makes you complicit then if you're

not you stand up and walk away

so when people talk about this cold war

between melania and

ivanka it's over ivanka has won

in my opinion yes

if donald had to pick between you know

branding ivanka or branding

melania well he's already shown us who

he's branded right

and the fact that he's literally getting

ivanka ready to become a president

and already putting that in people's

minds is just insane

as melania trump's senior advisor

stephanie winston walkoff occupied a

privileged position

for almost the first two years of donald

trump's presidency

but this forthright and opinionated

woman

was increasingly viewed as trouble

[Music]

i really had a lot of questions and

people did not like me asking questions

i was a problem um they wanted me out of

the white house

i was seen as being divisive because i

wanted to help the first lady

i was being seen as devices as melania

told me people were jealous because i

slept

over i was being devised because i

was so close to her and understood what

she needed to do but also i had the

experience to

help her execute everything she that our

country needed to do this

[Music]

like with so many other trump staffers

tears

were inevitable they came when an

official investigation was launched

into why the presidential inauguration

stephanie had helped organize was so

incredibly expensive

information was leaked to the media and

she was accused of pocketing

26 million dollars

but instead of standing up for her her

friend

the first lady swiftly and publicly

dumped her stephanie is adamant

she was the victim of a political hit

they said at one stage your company was

paid 26 million

u.s i mean that's about 34 35 million

australian

and then we heard that eventually you

were only paid 480

000 i mean is that figure right

that is right the 490 000.

yes but that also included you know

again planning the inauguration working

for melania during the inaugural for

free

bringing all my relationships my

contacts and working 24 7 for her and

then also

the year and a half at the white house

did melania know about the money

melania knew everything that i knew

because we spoke about it all the time

yes

could she have defended you publicly if

she had wanted to

one billion percent however she said

that due to the investigation she could

not

due to the fact that she was not a

private citizen she could not and you

know that that's a cop-out

oh i know it's a cop-out and i have all

the evidence

to prove it's a cop-out which you are

currently

sharing with investigators which i'm

currently

sharing with investigators they

destroyed my character once

i'm not letting them do this again

[Music]

and not only is stephanie winston

walkoff sharing what she knows

with investigators she's also sharing it

with the world again as with many other

exes

in the trump administration she's

written a tell-all book

[Music]

donald and melania are said to be none

too pleased

i want to talk to you about the truth

because the white house

says that the first lady is angry

with you because you overstated

your relationship with her in order to

write a book

filled with falsehoods yes i've read

that

what did you expect them to say has the

book got any falsehoods

in it the book doesn't have one

falsehood i can back up

every single thing in this book by one

or another way of transmission and i

mean

everything you secretly record

melania trump i secretly recorded milan

trump after i was accused of almost

being

i was accused of being a crim criminal

activity

he was no longer my friend

i was thrown to the wolves

are you suggesting that she took

advantage of your trust

hundred percent no doubt

stabbed me in the back and sliced me on

the neck and threw me under the bus

what about your motivation for writing

this book

i needed to clear my head i needed

clarity i

i've been living in my house for three

years

i've gone out maybe a handful of times

i have three children

i'm sorry you okay

they took my life away from me in a

matter of seconds

the life i built for myself and my

children and my husband and my family

was crushed by this

this machine a false narrative

and no one took any

desire to even want to figure out what

the truth was which was where's the rest

of the money

in the list of scandals that's defined

this president's

first term in office whether there's

money missing

from his inauguration celebrations

probably

doesn't rank that highly but stephanie

winston walkoff

says with an election to decide if

donald trump receives

a second term only weeks away it is

vital to discover the truth

there's something very interesting in

the way that when you take a really big

step back and you stop focusing on the

um the moments um

that you realize that america and

people are just being played to

and we're all on a reality show right

now and we really are

if donald trump loses in november what

becomes of melania

she'll be in the south of france on a

really big yacht with a really big brim

hat

doing what she's always wanted to do

nothing

hello i'm liam bartlett thanks for

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