Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania Trump’s ex-aide and confidante, has over the years has made various claims about the former First Lady since their relationship strained. Recently, Wolkoff dropped screengrabs of text messages between her and Melania which if true, sheds light on her utter disregard for Puerto Rico. The leaked messages exposes Melania’s surprisingly detached response to Hurricane Maria that hit island in 2017.
While Melania hides behind her façade attacking me —TRUTH DESERVES A VOICE. After PUERTO RICO was devastated by the hurricane, I texted Melania, “Are you going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday?” “I AM NOT” – Melania wrote. I didn’t give up and strongly advised her to go and she went.… pic.twitter.com/TJ7mRWHApK
— Stephanie Winston Wolkoff (@SWinstonWolkoff) October 30, 2024
“While Melania hides behind her façade attacking me—TRUTH DESERVES A VOICE,” Wolkoff declared on X (formerly Twitter) , sharing screenshots of their exchange. When asked about visiting Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane, Melania’s response was a strikingly cold, “I AM NOT.” When Wokoff pressed further pointing out that her absence will stand out as she attended other crisis events, she maintained her stance with the same brevity. Wolkoff penned, “You are not concerned that you have gone to both others and not this one?” Melania reiterated, “I am not,” before adding, “WW is begging me to go with POTUS.”
JUST IN: Pres. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive in Puerto Rico: https://t.co/jRaiEataNY pic.twitter.com/PaNushzvEc
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 3, 2017
The timing of these revelations proves particularly problematic for the Trump campaign as it comes on the heels of racist comments made by conservative comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s NYC rally recently, The List reported . The comedian stated, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” The comment drew immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. Hinchcliffe also targetted the Latino community . “These Latinos, they love making babies,” he opined, adding, “There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” as per NBC News .
“This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent over 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, with more than 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!” – Maria Salazar (R-FL) “not funny and it’s not true” – Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
— AJ Nash (@AJNIntel) October 28, 2024
The Trump campaign quickly distanced itself from the remarks. Senior adviser Danielle Alvarez, stated, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Several Republican lawmakers condemned Hinchcliffe’s comments. Rep. María Elvira Salazar penned on social media, “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect.” Sen. Rick Scott also slammed, “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed the incident during a livestream and argued, “I need people to understand that when you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that that’s what they think about you.”
The relationship between Wolkoff and Melania deteriorated after controversy arose regarding the 2017 presidential inauguration planning. While initial reports suggested Wolkoff’s company received $26 million for coordination efforts, she maintains she was personally paid $1.6 million and became a scapegoat for the administration’s larger issues, as per Newsweek .