Former BFF Stephanie Wolkoff Reveals the Truth About Melania and Donald Trump’s 'Transactional Marriage'

As unusual as it appears, Donald Trump and Melania Trump could be 'made for each other,' revealed the former First Lady's ex-BFF, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. The author of the bestseller book Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady detailed how Melania would apparently never leave Donald's side despite numerous scandals, lies, or betrayals. 

Despite the 91 criminal charges, fraud lawsuits, and mounting legal woes, the Republican frontrunner is determined to win the 2024 presidential race against his rivals. And, as always, his better half, Melania, is hard to spot in the public space. Critics have also pointed out her absence from the campaigns, and her former BFF Wolkoff has an accurate response to silence all the noise. 

As per the BBC, the 52-year-old author claimed their marriage is 'transactional,' implying this is the trade: Trump has got his arm candy, and Melania is receiving 'security.' While speaking to Kirsty Wark on BBC Newsnight in 2020, Wolkoff talked about her relationship with the former First Lady. 

Wolkoff said, "I do believe it's a transactional marriage. Donald got arm candy, and Melania got two dynamic decades." The author continued, "She [Melania] was a young model; she didn't have success yet. She met Donald, she married, she became an American citizen, they had a son, and ten years after that she's the first lady of the United States." She also added, "I do believe it was a magic moment, and I also believe it was a made-for-TV moment." According to Wolkoff, Melania was reluctant to have a 'public life' with Trump, hated people being creepy and invasive, and the political lifestyle. Despite that, the former First Lady wouldn't leave her husband. 

Prior to becoming one of the Trumps, she was a Knauss (Melania Knauss). One of the world's most watched and talked about couples first fell in love, married, and served America as its President and First Lady. Their relationship often gets scrutinized for lack of a 'connection,' the 24-year age gap, and the 77-year-old's tattered reputation among women. 

However, despite multiple sexual abuse allegations, divorces, infidelity, and the infamous sex scandal with deceased trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Melania has stuck with Trump. The two met at New York's Kit Kat nightclub in 1998, and although the former model didn't entertain him, he was 'smitten.' 

Trump shared, "I'd seen her before, on the runways and things, but her beauty utterly amazed me," reported Tatler, while Melania recalled she was reluctant because of all the ladies surrounding him. However, he persisted, and here they are. They tied the knot in January 2005 in Palm Beach, Florida, while the reception was held at Mar-a-Lago.

But, Wolkoff said, "She has stood by him and will continue to stand by him because she is just like him. It's a completely transactional marriage for both. She knew exactly who she married and warned him that all his secrets would come out if he ran for president." The former friend continued, "She [Melania] knew exactly what she was getting into. She accepted it, and she continues to accept it. People would be surprised by just how much they agree about things."