Donald Trump's Close Circle Says His Marriage to Melania is a 'Mirage': "He Needed a Woman Who..."

A surprising charge was leveled by a former aide of Melania Trump over her connection with her husband Donald Trump and son Barron. The former senior advisor to Melania, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, shared a clip from Donald's The Apprentice original opening on X. The video shows Melania in the role of a caring mother and the millionaire businessman as a doting father.

Wolkoff wrote along with the video, "Many may think 'DADDY'S HOME' is a Father's Day video. Nope! Millions of Americans watched The Apprentice. Donald was a household name. He needed a woman who looked and played the part and let him be the star. Marrying Melania and making her a Vogue Cover model -legitimized them both." Wolkoff's accusations coincide with Melania's retreat from the spotlight, which she has chosen to do in the wake of Donald's hush money election interference trial, which focused on his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels and led to his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying company records.

Wolkoff said in a subsequent tweet that the show's portrayal of the pair helped 'catapult' them to the White House, further slamming the door in their faces. She added, "What catapulted Donald J. Trump “businessman” and his “supermodel” wife to the White House was a MIRAGE created by Survivor producer Mark Burnett and NBC boss Jeff Zucker. Editor in chief of Variety & NYT bestselling author @RaminSetoodeh chronicles the definitive untold story of Trump’s years as a reality TV star & how Trump himself admits he might not have been president without The Apprentice."

Just one day after the video's reappearance, Politico announced that Melania would be hosting a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans at Trump Tower in New York City in July. This comes after the model has been noticeably absent from her husband's campaign appearances, leaving critics to speculate about the whereabouts of the former first lady. Melania was absent during her husband's controversial criminal trial in New York. The court heard allegations about his alleged extramarital relationships with a former porn star and Playboy model. Supposedly, behind closed doors, she has referred to the trial as 'a disgrace.' According to an insider who spoke with The New York Times, Melania recently referred to the trial as a disgrace and said that it was the same as trying to influence the election.

In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper last month, Wolkoff said that she thought Melania's marriage to the former president was 'transactional' and condemned it when discussing Trump's hush money trial in New York. As per HuffPost, she revealed during the interview, "I think people have to remember who Melania really is. There is no enigma, there is no mysteriousness. Melania really is who she has portrayed herself to be. There is a strength within her that is unlike any other individual I have ever met. She does not care what others feel about her nor does she feel she had to ever explain anything to the American people."